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Takayasu arteritis — SCE Rheumatology MCQ

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EasyVasculitisTakayasu arteritisSCE Rheumatology

A 28-year-old woman has limb claudication, dizziness, unequal arm blood pressures, absent radial pulse and MR angiographic aortic branch wall thickening. What is the most appropriate biologic?

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Correct answer: D — Tocilizumab in refractory large-vessel vasculitis

Tocilizumab in refractory large-vessel vasculitis is the single best answer because young age, pulse deficits and aortic branch involvement indicate Takayasu arteritis. The stem is testing biologic selection, not isolated recall, so the relevant clinical pattern and risk context determine the answer. Migraine is less suitable because it fits a different clinical pattern or a different treatment threshold; Sarcoidosis, Aspirin monotherapy and Etanercept do not address the key discriminator in this vignette. Clinical pearl: in SCE-style rheumatology questions, autoantibodies, imaging and synovial fluid findings should be interpreted with the whole phenotype.

Reference: BSR/EULAR vasculitis recommendations; NICE technology appraisals; BNF