Takayasu's arteritis as a cause of carotidynia: clinical and imaging features.

• Vol 10 • February 2008 158 Carotidynia is a neck pain syndrome associated with tenderness on palpation over the carotid bifurcation. The differential diagnosis for carotidynia includes largevessel vasculitides such as Takayasu’s and temporal arteritis, arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, dissection and aneurysm. Carotidynia, particularly in a young patient or a patient without risk factors for atherosclerosis, should alert the clinician to the possibility of arterial pain and subsequent large-vessel vasculitides. We report the clinical and imaging findings in a young patient with Takayasu’s arteritis as a cause of carotidynia.