Young Female Arteritis is also known as Takayasu's arteritis is a type of vasculitis which is rare group of disorders which causes blood vessel inflammation. It is a chronic progressive, inflammatory disease which leads to the occlusion of the aorta and its branches, even pulmonary arteries can be involved in the disease.

Takayasu arteritis is a systemic disease. It is most common in women of Asian origin. It usually begins between 10 and 30 years of age. The disease has sexual preponderance. 90% of the sufferers are the females. The other names for the condition are pulseless disease and aortic arch syndrome. The disease is basically a result of thrombo obliterative process which usually starts from the main vessels. It is called as Pulseless disease because pulses on the upper hand, such as the wrist pulse, may not be able to be felt.

Signs and Symptoms

• Patient is typically 40 years or younger of age
• Claudication of the extremities
• Decreased or difficult to feel pulsations in one or both hands
• Difference in the blood pressure in both of the arms mainly systolic
• Bruit over the major vessels
• Arteriography reveals narrowing of major vessels
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Malaise
• Fatigue
• Myalgia
• Arthralgia
• Arthritis
• Claudication of jaw
• Claudication of extremities
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Ulcerated nodular lesions
• Erythema nodosum
• Erythema induratum
• Papulonecrotic eruptions
• Papular erythematous lesions
• Pyoderma gangrenosum
• Erythema multiforme
• Headache
• Seizures
• Transient ischemic attack
• Aortic regurgitation
• Myocardial infarction
• Myocarditis
• Cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmia
• Congestive heart failure
• Hemoptysis
• Pleuritis
• Renovascular hypertension

Causes

• Narrowing of the lumen of the major arteries results in the decreased blood flow to the major organs
• Role of certain infections is suspected
• Some relation with Tuberculosis is suspected
• Autoimmune pathology is also suspected

Diagnosis and Investigations

Many of the investigations can be performed depending upon the patient to patient like –

• CBC
• CRP
• ESR
• Angiography
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography
• MRI
• CT Angiography
• Ultrasonography

Treatment and Medications

• Corticosteroids like prednisone or Methylprednisolone are prescribed
• Cytotoxic drugs like Methotrexate and Azathiorpine may be given to some patients
• Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) inhibitors are sometimes prescribed to some patients