Takayasu’s arteritis in Arabs

The objective of this study was to describe epidemiological and clinical features of Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) among Arab populations and to compare it to other populations. We conducted a systematic review of reports about TA from Arab countries published in English and French until 2013. All published papers were reviewed including original research and case reports. There were 197 patients (176 females) reported in 28 publications that comprised 8 original research publications (with a total of 163 patients) and 20 case reports (reporting 34 patients). These patients were from countries with a total population of approximately 80 million (Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain). The female to male ratio was 7:1. Mean age at disease onset was 28 years, and the mean delay in diagnosis was 3.5 years. Clinical manifestations are constitutional symptoms in 44 %, limb claudication in 64 %, Raynaud’s in 6 %, erythema nodosum in 3.6 %, visual disturbances in 30 %, carotidynia in 7 %, neurologic manifestations in 56 %, and hypertension in 34.5 % of patients. Involvement of the aortic arch and its branches were observed in about 80 % of patients. The overall mortality was very low over a period of 5.4 years of follow-up, and the course of the disease was quite stable in about 50 % of patients. The demographical and clinical findings of TA in Arabs are similar to what has been reported from different parts of the world. A relatively long delay in diagnosis may be in part due to low awareness of a relatively rare disease.