Takayasu arteritis

Takayasu arteritis is a rare inflammatory disease of the aorta and its major branches. Vessel-wall inflammation can cause thickening, narrowing, blockage, or aneurysms, reducing blood flow to organs and limbs.

Large-vessel vasculitis: A group of inflammatory diseases primarily affecting the aorta and its major branches. Takayasu arteritis is classified by its inflammation of the aorta and major branches.
Computed tomography angiography: A CT imaging technique that uses contrast material to show blood vessels and their abnormalities. It can reveal stenosis, occlusion, and aneurysms in the aorta and its branches.
Giant cell arteritis: A granulomatous large-vessel vasculitis that commonly affects adults over 50, especially the cranial arteries. It also targets the aorta and major branches, but typically begins at an older age.
Mikito Takayasu: A Japanese ophthalmologist who described characteristic retinal vascular changes in a patient in 1908. His name became attached to the disease after his clinical report.
Arterial stenosis: An abnormal narrowing of an artery that restricts blood flow. Inflamed vessel walls may thicken and narrow, limiting flow through affected arteries.
Magnetic resonance angiography: An MRI technique that produces images of blood vessels, often without ionizing radiation. It helps assess vessel-wall inflammation and structural changes during diagnosis and follow-up.
Polyarteritis nodosa: A necrotizing vasculitis of medium-sized arteries that usually spares the aorta and pulmonary arteries. Its medium-vessel pattern distinguishes it from this aorta-centered large-vessel disease.
Aortitis: Inflammation of the aortic wall caused by infectious or noninfectious conditions. Takayasu arteritis is a major noninfectious cause of aortitis.
Arterial occlusion: A partial or complete blockage that prevents blood from flowing normally through an artery. Severe narrowing or clot formation can block vessels affected by the disease.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: A blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle, providing a nonspecific marker of inflammation. It may help track systemic inflammation, though normal results do not exclude active disease.

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VasculitisBroader topic: It demonstrates how large-artery inflammation can impair pulses and organ perfusion.