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Takayasu arteritis

Last reviewed: 1 Nov 2024
Last updated: 22 Jun 2023

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • upper or lower limb claudication
  • absent pulse(s)
  • unequal blood pressures
  • vascular bruits
  • low-grade fever
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • transient ischemic attack (TIA)
  • myalgia
  • arthralgia
  • weight loss
  • fatigue
  • dizziness on upper-limb exertion
  • hypertension
  • stroke
  • chest pain
  • abdominal pain
  • diarrhea
  • shortness of breath
  • hemoptysis
  • night sweats
  • vertigo
  • syncope
  • headache
  • heart murmur
  • visual symptoms
  • erythema nodosum
  • pyoderma gangrenosum
Full details

Risk factors

  • genetic predisposition
  • female sex
  • age <40 years
  • Asian ethnicity
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • C-reactive protein (CRP)
  • computed tomography angiography (CTA)
  • magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
Full details

Tests to consider

  • Doppler ultrasound
  • positron emission tomography with radiolabeled fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG)
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

all patients

Contributors

Authors

Kenneth J. Warrington, MD
Kenneth J. Warrington

Professor of Medicine

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine

Rochester

MN

Disclosures

KJW declares that he has received clinical trial support from Eli Lilly, GSK, and Kiniksa. He has received consulting fees and honoraria from Chemocentryx. KJW is an author of a number of references cited in this topic.

Acknowledgements

Dr Kenneth J. Warrington would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Steven R. Ytterberg and Dr Eric L. Matteson, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

SRY declares that he was a sub-awardee of a grant from the US Food and Drug Administration for a pilot study of abatacept, a treatment for Takayasu arteritis. SRY is also a member of the steering committee at the Vasculitis Clinical Research Committee. ELM declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Loic P. Guillevin, MD

Internal Medicine

Hopital Cochin-Paris University

St-Jacques

Paris

France

Disclosures

LPG declares that he has no competing interests.

Gene G. Hunder, MD

Department of Medicine

Division of Rheumatology

Mayo Clinic

Rochester

MN

Disclosures

GGH is an author of a reference cited in this topic. GGH declares that he has no other competing interests.

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