Ishaq and Shabbir Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011, 5:466 http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/5/1/466 factoralpha inhibitors and drug-eluting arterial stents has been shown to improve prognosis in severe disease. Initial results show promising outcomes and higher chances of therapeutic success may be attained by newer drugs like rapamycin (sirolimus) and everolimus. These drugs inhibit myointimal proliferation thereby effectively inhibiting vessel intimal hyperplasia and indu- cing expression of heme oxygenase-1 [10]. Beta thalassemia trait is not treated actively; erythro- poesis is ineffective and down-regulation of iron absorp- tion is also altered. Thus occurs because of an excess of the growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), which is produced by the erythroid tissue of the bone marrow. GDF-15 inhibits hepcidin gene expression, which in turn increases iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract [11]. Hence the use of oral iron supplementation should be monitored by measuring the serum ferritin levels at regular intervals. Beta thalassemia trait is not a life-threatening condition but can affect the quality of life due to mild or moderate anemia and should only be treated if the patient becomes symptomatic. The coexis- tence of other disease with beta thalassemia trait has been shown in studies including asthma [12] and mood disorders [13]. Genetic counseling is an essential part of managing such patients in our setting, where beta tha- lassemia trait testing is not done routinely. Conclusion The simultaneous occurrence of TA and beta thalasse- mia trait is a rare incidence which has not previously been reported; therefore it is important that such a case be presented in the international literature as a refer- ence point. Clinical suspicion, appropriate imaging, and the consideration of the differential diagnosis are impor- tant for the correct diagnosis and management of patients with TA and beta thalassemia trait. Consent Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompany- ing images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal. Abbreviations CT-A: computed tomography angiogram; EEG: electroencephalogram; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GDF-15: growth differentiation factor-15; TA: Takayasu’s arteritis. Authors’ contributions MI was responsible for complete diagnosis, treatment and narrative of the patient’s history. FS conducted the examination, wrote the manuscript and is responsible for the correspondence. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 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Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol 2005, 37(5):177-182. 13. Bocchetta A: Heterozygous beta-thalassaemia as a susceptibility factor in mood disorders: excessive prevalence in bipolar patients. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 2005, 1(1):6. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-5-466 Cite this article as: Ishaq and Shabbir: Takayasu’s arteritis presenting with temporary loss of vision in a 23-year-old woman with beta thalassemia trait: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011 5:466. Submit your next manuscript to BioMed Central and take full advantage of: • Convenient online submission • Thorough peer review • No space constraints or color ﬁgure charges • Immediate publication on acceptance • Inclusion in PubMed, CAS, Scopus and Google Scholar • Research which is freely available for redistribution Submit your manuscript at www.biomedcentral.com/submit