Occlusive thromboaortopathy (Takayasu's disease): clinical findings and angiographic classification.

We report the findings in 26 cases of occlusive aortopathy (Takayasu's disease) encountered during eight years. The mean age was 25.3 years and female to male ratio was 2.7:1. Chest and local pain, fever, hypertension (70%) and absent pulses were accompanied by high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 38 to 126 mm, eosinophilia 4 to 26%. All immunological tests were negative except tuberculin-test (PPD) with 65% positive. EKG was normal in three cases, 23 showed left ventricular hypertrophy, ST-T changes in two and acute myocardial infarction in two cases. The classification: Type I cervico-brachial or arch type with five cases, type II thoraco-abdominal type with six cases, type III peripheral type with four cases and generalized types combination of two or more of three types and/or pulmonary artery involvement, showed good correlation with clinical findings and prognosis. The occlusive aortopathy is an inflammatory disease of unknown origin, an auto-immune or genetic etiology may be involved.