Takayasu arteritis

At a glance

• A granulomatous vasculitis of the aorta and its main branches and sometimes the pulmonary arteries. Inflammation thickens the wall, then narrows, occludes or dilates the vessel.
• Young women, usually under 40. Commoner in Japan, Korea, China, India and South-East Asia; rare in Australia, so it is often diagnosed late.
• Think of it in a young person with absent or unequal arm pulses, arm claudication, bruits, unexplained hypertension or a raised CRP with no source.