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Abstract
The American Heart Association website defines syncope as "temporary loss of consciousness
and posture." Syncope is a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). Although
case reports of subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) from Takayasu arteritis (TA) and of
TA causing syncope have been rarely reported in the literature, our MEDLINE search
revealed no published description of the three entities of SSS, TA, and syncope presenting
simultaneously. We then describe a case of a 48-year-old woman who presented to our
ED with syncope and was found to have SSS. We describe the patient's hospital course
leading to the diagnosis of TA, which is a rare form of vasculitis. Finally, we briefly
discuss TA, explain the mechanism of SSS in TA, and outline the diagnostic criteria
established by the American College of Rheumatology for TA.