Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in a patient with giant cell arteritis

This report describes the case of a young woman presenting with signs and symptoms of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) with concomitant coronary artery bypass. She died in the intensive care unit 1 day postoperatively. At autopsy the patient was found to have giant cell arteritis of the pulmonary arteries and ascending aorta. It is important to differentiate this disease from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension because its management and that of systemic vasculitis differs considerably.