Acquired aorto-arteritis. A worldwide vascular entity.

Abstract

THE original report of Takayasu in 1908 described unusual changes in the central retinal vessels. Subsequent reports in Japan and Europe, as summarized by McKusick,1led to the acceptance of Takayasu's syndrome as an entity to indicate primary occlusive arteritis of the arch of the aorta. Such an entity has also been termed pulseless disease,2aortic arch arteritis,3aortic arch syndrome,4and young female arteritis of aortic arch syndrome.5 In recent years, parallel with greater insight and more aggressive diagnostic approaches to vascular problems, reports show that a similar form of arteritis exists which is not confined to the aortic arch and its branches. It is of interest to note that such cases which have heretofore been considered of distinctly Asian origin6-13affect the preatherosclerotic age group. The pathology in these reports is purely occlusive in nature and involves primarily the abdominal aorta and