[Takayasu's disease]

ABSTRACT

Takayasu's disease is the most frequent vasculitis involving the aorta and its main branches. It affects young people and predominantly the female. The lack of pulsation in upper limbs is the most frequent circumstance of diagnosis but all of hypertension, aortic regurgitation or coronary arerial lesions could also lead to the recognition of that disease mainly while inflammatory syndrome exists. The diagnosis is based on the location and association of lesions [ectasia and stenosis of the aorta and its main branches] and/or pulmonary arteria. In other cases, it's confirmed by histopathology. The prognosis depends on arterial hypertension, brain ischemia and coronary arterial lesions. The treatment is essentially palliating surgery in case of ischemy, corticotherapy in developing inflammatory syndrome