Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Takayasu's arteritis
- Radiologic Findings
- Brief Review
- Takayasu’s arteritis is a chronic vasculitis mainly involving the aorta and its main branches such as the brachiocephalic, carotid, subclavian, vertebral, and renal arteries, as well as the coronary and pulmonary arteries. It induces clinically varied ischaemic symptoms due to stenotic lesions or thrombus formation. More acute progression causes destruction of the media of the arterial wall, leading to the formation of aneurysms or rupture of the involved arteries. Almost all patients have ischaemic disorders of the involved vessels (mostly cervical lesions in Japan), which present as dizziness, syncope, visual disturbance, faint or absent pulse, or differences in systolic blood pressure between arms.(1) Takayasu arteritis type IV and giant cell arteritis are vasculitic syndromes affecting the central pulmonary arterial system (large elastic and medium-sized muscular branches). They are characterized by wall thickening and stenotic changes, which can cause peripheral perfusion asymmetry and arterial thrombosis or thromboembolism with distal pulmonary infarction.(2)
- References
- 1. Numano F, Okawara M, Inomata H, Kobayashi Y. Takayasu’s arteritis. Lancet 2000; 356:1023-1025.
2. Engelke C, Schaefer-Prokop C, Schirg E, Freihorst J, Grubnic S, Prokop M. High-Resolution CT and CT Angiography of Peripheral Pulmonary Vascular Disorders. RadioGraphics 2002; 22: 739-764.
- Keywords
- Vascular, Vascular, Takayasu arteritis,