[Takayasu's disease in central Tunisia: 27 cases].
BACKGROUND
Takayasu's arteritis is a rare inflammatory disease and few data are available in Tunisia. The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical and radiological features of the disease in the centre of Tunisia.


METHODS
We retrospectively studied medical records of patients treated in departments of internal medicine or cardiology from three university hospitals in Sousse and Monastir over the period 1985-2005. The criteria for inclusion were those proposed by the American College of Rheumatology.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven patients were identified. The mean age at presentation was 33.2 years (range 16-68 years) and 88.9% were female. The mean delay from the onset of the symptoms to the time of diagnosis was 4.2 years. Intermittent claudication was the most common presentation (81.5%) and hypertension was noted in 40.7% of cases. Arterial localization most frequently involved was subclavian artery. The aorta was involved in 52.3% and renal arteries in 36.3% of cases. Stenosis or occlusions was constant but aneurysms were noted in 7.4%. Functional difficulty was the main complaint in the follow-up, death related to Takayasu's disease was noted in 3.7%. The mean follow-up time was 75.8 months (6.3 years).


CONCLUSIONS
There is no epidemiologic particularity of Takayasu's disease in Tunisia, however involvement of the subclavian artery was more frequent than the aortic localization.
Ghannouchi Jaafoura
N
N
Service de médecine interne et maladies infectieuses, CHU Farhat Hached, 4000 Sousse, Tunisie. neirouz.ghannouchi@rns.tn
Khalifa
M
M
Rezgui
A
A
Alaoua
A
A
Ben Jazia
E
E
Braham
A
A
Kechrid
C
C
Mahjoub
S
S
Ernez
S
S
Boughzela
E
E
Ben Farhat
M
M
Letaief
A
A
Bahri
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D017130:Angioplasty; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones