Named after a Japanese ophthalmologist, Takayasu’s arteritis is a group of disorders that cause blood vessel inflammation, primarily affecting the aorta. It can lead to blockages and narrowed arteries, sometimes causing chest pain and high blood pressure.
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At Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, at least two such rare cases were operated on recently. “The disease affects young women of Asian descent and it is believed that about 8 to 15 per cent of women in India are affected. The inflammation affects the aorta and can also affect its stem branches. Its cause is unknown,” said S.R. Subramanian, professor at the Institute of Vascular Surgery at the hospital.
S. Ramya from Salem district came in a few months ago, with severe headache, giddiness and leg pain. “I had gone to a private hospital at first, but they said they could not do anything,” said the 21-year-old.
At the hospital, doctors found that she had a narrowed aorta and that her right artery was 90 per cent blocked and the left renal artery had 100 per cent occlusion. She also had weakness of the heart owing to prolonged high blood pressure.
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“We decided to perform an angioplasty of her aorta and stent the right renal artery that was 90 per cent blocked. First, her aorta was dilated with a balloon. Once normal blood flow was ensured and her heart function was good, a stent was placed in her right renal artery, widening it. One month later, we performed an aorto left renal artery saphenous vein bypass,” said Dr. Subramanian.
Ramya, who was on three drugs earlier, is down to one now, at half the dosage. Her blood pressure is normal. “The procedure saved her from dialysis or the possibility of a transplant. We have done several such procedures now,” he said.
Takayasu’s arteritis is a group of disorders that cause blood vessel inflammation, primarily affecting the aorta