[Juvenile arteriosclerosis: rare cause of generalized dilatative and stenosing vascular disease].

In addition to generalized arteriosclerosis connective tissue disease, systemic vasculitis as well as genetic metabolic disease are described to be the cause of stenotic and aneurysmatic vessel wall alteration. Although these causes are rather unusual, they must be considered for the diagnosis of a generalized vascular disease with arterial occlusion as well as aneurysm formation to determine the appropriate procedure for the individual. Whereas operative treatment should be avoided as far as possible for patients with Behçet's disease or Marfan syndrome, it is rather indicated for any kind of juvenile arteriosclerosis with arterial stenosis as well as dilatation. In this way the patient described in the following could be treated successfully by operation even though the cause of the juvenile arteriosclerosis was inexplicable, and in addition to local complications also the threatening rupture of the aneurysm could be controlled.