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Takayasu arteritis - Treatment

Alternative Names

Pulseless disease

Treatment:

Treatment of Takayasu arteritis is difficult, but patients who do have the right treatment can see positive results. Early detection is important.

Most patients are treated with steroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Surgery is reserved for complications caused by narrowed arteries.

Surgery to bypass narrowed arteries -- angioplasty or stent placement -- may be needed to supply blood or open up the constriction.

Expectations (prognosis):

This disease can be fatal. However, with a combination of aggressive medical and surgical treatment, death rates have dropped dramatically.

In well-managed cases of Takayasu arteritis, the long-term survival rate is greater than 90%. The survival rate is better for adults than for children.

Complications:

Blood clot
Heart attack
Heart failure
Pericarditis
Pleuritis
Stroke

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of this condition. Weak pulse, chest pain, and breathing difficulty require immediate care.

Heart, section through the middle

Reviewed last on: 2/5/2010
Mark James Borigini, MD, Rheumatologist in the Washington, DC Metro area. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Maksimowicz-McKinnon K, Hoffman GS. Takayasu arteritis: what is the long-term prognosis? Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2007;33:777-786.

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