Takayasu Arteritis
 

• large vessel, granulomatous vasculitis
• rare in childhood
• most commonly involving branches of aortic arch, rarely involving the abdominal aorta and its branch arteries
• in children, the inflammatory phase is often brief and indolent, with few clues to an underlying vasculitis, other than
  • fever
  • constitutional sx
  • anemia
  • elevated ESR
• may be followed by a pulseless phase, where the child has been left w/ multiple arterial stenoses and their inherent complications, including aortic coarctation

Pediatric Annals 34(1) Jan 2005