title: [Takayasu's arteritis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory disease that affects aorta and its main branches. The disease is rare; its etiology is unknown and shows race differences. The inflammation of the arteries may lead to stenosis, occlusions, dilatations or aneurysms. The clinical picture and angiographic findings are not previously reported in a Norwegian cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a retrospective, hospital-based study describing the clinical picture, diagnostic findings, treatment and prognosis in a cohort of six patients in Central Norway with Takayasu's arteritis. The data was extracted through chart review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the period 1988-2000, six patients with Takayasu's arteritis, five women and one man, were identified. All the patients were of Norwegian origin. Median age at diagnosis was 39 years, range 24-63 years, and median time from first symptoms to definite diagnosis was six months, range 1-36 months. The estimated minimum annual incidence was 0.8 per million. All patients had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate; five out of six patients had unilateral or bilateral subclavian stenosis; one patient had a thoracoabdominal aneurysm. All patients were treated with prednisolone. There were no deaths in the observation period of median 7.5 years, range 0-26 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Takayasu's arteritis is a rare disease in our region, with lower incidence than reported in the literature. The prognosis is excellent, but the morbidity was substantial. The clinical findings are similar to those reported in other studies. The location and appearance of the angiographic findings were characteristic for the disease.
authors.affiliation: Revmatologisk avdeling, Regionsykehuset i Trondheim 7006 Trondheim. erodevan@online.no
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rødevand
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Skomsvoll
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallenius
authors.forename: A Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skjaerpe
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Tafjord
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001027:Aortography; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone