title: Retrospective analysis of 95 patients with large vessel vasculitis: a single center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) have been considered as distinct disease entities, similarities of these diseases have been recently reported. However, little data is available regarding this issue in Japanese patients with TAK and GCA. In addition, the classification criteria for TAK established in 1990 by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) have been criticized due to the age restriction for disease onset (≤ 40 years). Thus, we aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with TAK and those with GCA and to clarify whether clinical differences existed between patients with early-onset (≤ 40 years) and late-onset (> 40 years) TAK.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 86 patients with TAK and nine with GCA who visited our department from 1990 to 2014. The diagnoses of TAK and GCA were based on the criteria of the Japanese Circulation Society and the ACR, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ages at onset for TAK and GCA were 36.4 and 71.0 years, respectively. Patients with TAK had significantly higher incidences of aortic regurgitation and carotid and subclavian arterial involvement, lower frequencies of polymyalgia rheumatica, and better prognoses than those with GCA. In contrast, the clinical characteristics, distribution of arterial lesions, treatments administered, and prognoses of patients with early- and late-onset TAK were comparable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that TAK and GCA differed substantially, and that the age restriction (≤ 40 years) may not be necessary for the diagnosis of TAK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Machiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akita
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirota
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harigae
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Takayasu arteritis; giant cell arteritis; large vessel vasculitis