Pediatric Takayasu Arteritis

  • Etiology: large vessel vasculitis, chronic idiopathic granulomatous inflammation of large arteries
  • Imaging: affects thoracic + abdominal aorta simultaneously along with renal arteries / pulmonary artery / coronary arteries, see thickened enhancing wall of aorta + its branches with luminal narrowing, +/- thrombus, diffuse or focal aneurysms
  • CT: calcification
  • MR: increased T2 signal is sign of active inflammation
  • Complications: vascular stenosis / occlusion / aneurysm (less common)
  • Clinical: presents in adolescence, has 3 phases – early prepulseless phase, vascular inflammatory phase, late occlusive phase

Radiology Cases of Takayasu Arteritis

CT angiogram of Takayasu arteritis of the subclavian artery
CT angiogram of the chest with 3D reconstruction shows diffuse narrowing of the left subclavian artery beginning at its origin along with diffuse narrowing of the left vertebral artery beginning at its origin.