Takayasu’s arteritis in 174 Thai patients.

ABSTRACT

A testrospective study of 174 patients (46 male, 128 female, male female = 1 2.78) suffered from Takayasu’s arteritis since 1980 was performed. Most cases were found in age range from 11 to 30 year old. The major symptoms observed in this disease were headache 45.98%, dyspnea on exertion 34.48%, blurred vision 24.14%, intermittent claudication 18.39%, fever 17.24%, chest pain 16.09% and hemiplegia 14.37%. Physical signs detected included hypertension 75.29%, unequal pulses 66.67%, pulsatile mass and/or vascular bruits at the abdomen and neck 27.59% and 10.34%, respectively. Congestive cardiac failire and left ventricular hypertrophy were observed in a quarter of the patients. For laboratory findings, the frequently sedimentation rate (ESR) was found to be a good indicator of arch and abdominal aortogram of 137 Takayasu’s arteritis patients revealed that aorta and nearly all of its main branches were involved, renal arteries 65.69%, abdominal aorta 51.82%, subclavian arteries 40.15% and thoracic aorta 29.93%. Two patients died, one was from cerebral hemorrhage and the other was from renal failure.