Takayasu's arteritis in Italian patients.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical features, angiographic findings and evolution of Takayasu's arteritis in Italian patients.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the case records of 27 Italian patients with Takayasu's arteritis, all meeting the 1990 ACR criteria for classification of this vasculitis, with a median disease duration of 9.5 years.

Results: The patterns of arterial involvement and the frequencies of systemic and specific symptoms were similar, with some exceptions, to those reported in the literature. In our patients weight loss was rare, the incidence of respiratory symptoms and seizures was low, and no clinical manifestations of intestinal involvement were reported. All of the patients were treated with antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications, and 14 were also treated with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants; a stabilization of the vascular involvement was seen in most of them. Thirteen patients underwent surgery, and 5 had percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasties. Five pregnancies were observed, without complications. Two patients died, one after an angiographic evaluation and one for reasons unrelated to the disease.

Conclusions: Takayasu's arteritis is heterogeneous in presentation, evolution and response to therapy. In our series of patients the disease seems to have showed a more favorable course than that previously reported. This can be attributed to the effectiveness of therapy, but also, at least partially, to the better prognosis that the disease seems to have for Western than for Eastern subjects.