Subclavian steal syndrome secondary to Takayasu arteritis in a young female Caucasian patient.

Subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) is most frequently described in Caucasians aged over 50 years because of increased incidence of atherosclerosis in this population. Non-atherosclerotic etiologies of SSS are rare in Caucasians. We present a case of Subclavian Steal Syndrome secondary to Takayasu Arteritis (TA) in a 26 year-old female Caucasian patient. The present case underscores that despite the very low incidence of TA in Caucasians (0.8/1,000,000), this large-vessel vasculitis of unknown etiology should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of subclavian steal syndrome in Caucasian women aged less than 40 years.