Takayasu's disease

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic vasculitis which is more common in women, usually aged 20-40 years old (1).

This condition results in narrowing of the first few centimetres of the carotid, inominate, and subclavian arteries with the aorta. Also the condition affects the renal arteries.

The clinical features result from ischaemia due to arterial stenoses and thrombosis.

The aetiology is unknown.

Diagnosis

• can be challenging due to non-specific clinical manifestations and the lack of specific diagnostic tests
• various imaging modalities, such as angiography, ultrasound, and Doppler techniques, play a role in the diagnosis by visualizing arterial involvement and assessing disease extent (2)

Management

• initial treatment of symptomatic Takayasu arteritis begins with corticosteroids (3)
• involves a multidisciplinary approach, and use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
  • synthetic and biologic DMARDs are used to induce remission, control inflammation, and prevent complications (2)
• invasive interventions, including endovascular therapy and open surgery, are used for managing vascular lesions.

Reference:

1. Maz M, Chung SA, Abril A, et al. 2021 American College of Rheumatology/Vasculitis Foundation guideline for the management of giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 Aug;73(8):1349-65.
2. Bhandari S et al. Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Takayasu Arteritis: A Review of Current Advances. Cureus. 2023 Jul 29;15(7):e42667.
3. Trinidad B, Surmachevska N, Lala V. Takayasu Arteritis. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-.