Natural history of aortoarteritis (Takayasu’s arteritis)

Natural history of aortoarteritis (Takayasu’s arteritis)

Natural history of aortoarteritis (Takayasu’s arteritis): Natural history of aortoarteritis has been reported by R Subramanyan, J Joy and K G Balakrishnan from the Department of Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India [1]. They had the follow up data of 88 patients of which 54 were female and 34 were men. The average age at onset of symptoms was 24 years while that at diagnosis was 28.3 years. It may noted that diagnosis is often delayed due to vague symptoms and subtle initial physical signs. Mean follow period was 83.6 months from onset of symptoms and 33.2 months from diagnosis. Ten patients (11.4%) died during follow up and 22 patients (one fourth) had major non fatal events.

The cumulative survival of Takayasu arteritis at 5 years was ninety one percent of which event free survival was 74.9 percent. Ten year survival of Takayasu’s arteritis was eighty four percent with sixty four percent was event free survival.

Of these, those with single mild complication or no complication (Ishikawa I or IIa) had a five year event free survival of ninety seven percent. There were no deaths in this group.

Those with a single severe or multiple complications had a five year event free survival of 59.7 percent. The mortality was 19.6 percent in groups IIB and III, which were mainly due to cerebrovascular accidents and congestive heart failure. Severe hypertension, severe functional disability and cardiac involvement were predictors of mortality or major non fatal events.

Reference

1. R Subramanyan, J Joy, K G Balakrishnan. Natural History of Aortoarteritis (Takayasu’s Disease). Circulation. 1989 Sep;80(3):429-37.