title: Takayasu's arteritis in Turkey - clinical and angiographic features of 248 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic, inflammatory vasculitis affecting the aorta and its major branches. Although it is more prevalent in Far-East Asia, the distribution of the disease is worldwide with different vascular involvement patterns and clinical manifestations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the demographic, clinical, angiographic and prognostic features of TA patients in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and angiographic findings of 248 TA patients (228 female, 27 male) followed at 15 Rheumatology Centers were prospectively evaluated according to a predefined protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 40.1 years (30.2 years at the clinical onset). Clinical manifestations included constitutional symptoms in 66%, absent or diminished pulses in 88%, bruits in 77%, extremity pain in 69%, claudication in 48%, hypertension in 43% and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in 18% of the patients. Renal artery stenosis, aortic regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension were present in 26%, 33% and 12%, respectively. According to the new angiographic classification, type V (50.8%) and Type I (32%) were the most frequent types of involvement. Corticosteroids were the main treatment in 93% of the patients alone (9%) or in combination with immunosuppressive agents (84%). Most frequently preferred immunosuppressive agents were methotrexate (63%), azathioprine (22%) and cyclophosphamide (13%). Remission was observed at least once in 94% of the patients and sustained remission in 71% during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The demographical, clinical and angiographic findings of TA patients in our series were similar to those reported from Japan, Brazil and Colombia. Combination therapies with immunosuppressive agents were the preferred choice of treatment in Turkey.
authors: Department of Rheumatology at Yeditepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. mbicakcigil@yeditepe.edu.tr
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bicakcigil
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Aksu
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kamali
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Ozbalkan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ates
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Karadag
authors: H T E
authors: HT
authors: Ozer
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Seyahi
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Akar
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Onen
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Cefle
authors: S Z
authors: SZ
authors: Aydin
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Yilmaz
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Onat
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Cobankara
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Tunc
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Ozturk
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Fresko
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Karaaslan
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Akkoc
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Yücel
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kiraz
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Keser
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Inanc
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Direskeneli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents