Takayasu's arteritis in a 15 year old girl

Abstract

Takayasu's arteritis was described for the first time in 1908 by the Japanese ophthalmologist Nikito Takayasue from the Kanazawa University (Japan).

Takayasu's arteritis is an idiopathic, inflammatory, granulomatous vasculopaty of the aorta and its large branches that can also involve the pulmonary artery. It is part of the group of large vessels arteritis, according to Chapel Hill's classification.

The estimated incidence in USA is approximately 2.6 cases/1.000.000, inhabitants/year. Predominantly affects women in reproductive age (90%), the highest pick of incidence is between the third and forth decades of life; however, it may appear at any age, even during childhood.

This is a case of Takayasu's arteritis in a 15 year old patient, of accelerated evolution and severe comprise of the renal, carotid, suclavian and descending aorta vasculature.

It is an infrequent disease in our country, however, it may be considered within the differential diagnosis of secondary hypertension, especially in women at reproductive age. Likewise, it can have clinical manifestations such as decrease in the affected arteries' pulse intensity; hence the name of "disease without pulses", as it has been typically defined.