Arteritis refers to inflammation of your arteries that damages your blood vessel walls and reduces blood flow to your organs. There are several types of arteritis. The symptoms and complications that occur depend on which arteries are affected and the degree of damage.
There are two types of arteritis:
- Giant Cell Arteritis - This is a generalized vasculitis that affects the medium and large vessels of the body, mostly the aortic arch and the extra-cranial carotid arteries. It affects almost exclusively elderly Caucasians. It is frequently associated with jaw pain, headache, visual disturbances and scalp tenderness. Corticosterioids is the mainstay of therapy with operations only reserved for rare complications.
- Takayasu’s Arteritis - Similar to the giant cell arteritis, Takayasu’s arteritis is associated with granuloma formation in the media of the vessels. Fever, malaise and weight loss is similarly prevalent in this disease. It affects the aorta, the pulmonary artery and its major branches. Corticosterioids is the mainstay of therapy with operations indicated for up to 30% of patients to prevent ischemic complications.
Locations Treating Arteritis
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