Takayasu arteritis: a rare disease affecting Asian women & bull; hello healthy

Takayasu Arteritis is a rare disease which is an inflammation of the walls of blood vessels, and generally affects women from the Asian continent. This disease was discovered by dr. Mikito Takayasu in 1908 and is named after its discoverer. Patients with Takayasu arteritis are generally Asian women under 40 years of age. This disease is a rare vascular disease, where the frequency of occurrence of Takayasu arteritis is only about two to three cases per one million human population each year.

Apart from Takayasu arteritis, this disease is also known by other names, such as young female arteritis , pulseless disease, aortic arch syndrome , and reversed coarctation .

What causes Takayasu arteritis?

Takayasu arteritis disease was first discovered due to the appearance of circular blood vessels in the retina of the eye followed by the absence of a pulse in the patient's wrist, which causes this disease is often referred to as pulseless disease . Furthermore, it was found that malformation of the blood vessels in the retina was a response to narrowing of the arteries in the neck, and the absence of a pulse was the result of narrowing of the blood vessels in the patient's arm.

In this disease, inflammation causes damage to the aorta, which is the large artery that carries it from the heart to the rest of the body, and other blood vessels that connect to the aorta. This disease can cause blockage or narrowing of the arteries (stenosis) or abnormal dilation of the arteries (aneurysms). In more severe cases, narrowing of blood vessels can cause a decrease in blood flow which results in reduced oxygen supply to all organs of the body, while aneurysms can lead to heart valve failure or leakage of the aortic artery.

The exact cause of Takayasu's arteritis is not certain. However, it is most likely that this disease is caused by an autoimmune condition, in which the immune system in the form of the patient's white blood cells attacks the aortic blood vessels and their branches. Another possibility is that the disease is caused by a virus or infection, ranging from infection spirochetes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to streptococcal microorganisms. This disease also runs in families, so it is possible that genetic factors also have an influence in the cause of this disease. The scarcity of cases of disease makes research into the exact causes of this disease more difficult.

Characteristics and symptoms of Takayasu arteritis

The signs and symptoms of Takayasu arteritis are generally divided into two stages, namely the first stage in the form of systemic phase and the second stage is occlusive phase . However, in some sufferers, these two stages can take place at the same time.

The first stage: systemic phase

Symptoms include:

• fatigue
• weight loss
• aches and pains in the body
• low-grade fever

At this stage, the symptoms are still very general and non-specific. Most patients also have an increased rate of deposition of red blood cells (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ESR) at this stage.

Second stage: occlusive phase

Symptoms include:

• pain in the body, especially the hands and feet (claudication)
• dizziness, dizziness, to fainting
• headache
• memory and thinking problems
• short breath
• short blood pressure
• the difference in blood pressure in the two arms
• decreased pulse rate
• anemia
• there is a sound in the artery when checked using a stethoscope.

In the second stage, inflammation of the blood vessels has caused narrowing of the arteries (stenosis), so that the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the organs and tissues of the body decreases. Narrowing of the blood vessels in the neck, arms and wrists also causes the pulse to be undetectable so that the patient appears to have 'no pulse.

Complications caused by Takayasu arteritis

As previously mentioned, Takayasu's arteritis is an inflammatory condition of the largest blood vessels and their branches, so this disease can also cause further complications of other diseases related to blood vessels, including:

• Narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels which can lead to decreased blood flow to various tissues and organs in the body.
• Rupture of a blood vessel due to aortic aneurysm.
• High blood pressure due to narrowing of the blood vessels that carry blood to the kidneys (renal arteries).
• Pneumonia, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, and alveolar damage if the disease attacks the pulmonary arteries.
• Inflammation of the heart which then affects the heart muscle (myocarditis) and heart valves.
• Heart failure due to high blood pressure, myocarditis, or aortic valve regurgitation.
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a minor stroke.
• Stroke due to decreased blood flow or blockage of blood flow from the heart to the brain.
• Heart attack.

In addition, Takayasu arteritis is also often associated with various other diseases, such as glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus, polymyositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, rheumatoid arthritis, Still disease, and ankylosing spondylitis.

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic blood vessel disease and is likely to recur after treatment, so long-term treatment is needed. When you feel difficulty breathing, chest pain, or signs of a stroke, it is recommended that you consult the doctor concerned. Early detection is one of the keys to treating this disease. Furthermore, if you have been exposed to this disease and have been declared cured, you should also carry out routine checks with the doctor concerned to avoid getting this disease again.