To the Editor:
Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic vasculitis of unknown etiology involving the aorta and its main branches. Progression may lead to stenosis or formation of aneurysms1. Current therapy is based on corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. Treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) has shown efficacy, as well as unfavorable outcomes2,3,4,5,6,7. From a cohort of 14 patients with TA refractory to conventional treatments, we treated 3 with infliximab (IFX), and describe the outcome.
Case 1
A 21-year-old woman was admitted because of 6 months of progressive chest pain, palpitations, and claudication in the left upper limb. Examination showed differential blood pressure between arms, decreased pulses in the left arm, bilateral carotid, and mitral murmur; erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR) rate was 54 mm/h and C-reactive protein (CRP) was 3 mg/dl. Angiography study showed stenosis in the thoracic aorta and supraaortic and renal vessels compatible with a diagnosis …
Address correspondence to Dr. Cañas; E-mail: cacd12{at}hotmail.com