EFFECTS OF PREDNISOLONE THERAPY ON ARTERIAL ANGIOGRAPHIC FEATURES IN TAKAYASU DISEASE

Patients with Takayasu's disease in the active stage, a time when the inflammatory activity is well reflected by high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, usually respond to corticosteroid therapy.1-4 There has been no angiographic evidence of any positive attenuation of the arterial stenoses except in 2 cases.5,6 Long-term prednisolone therapy guidelines have also not been documented. I report here the results of a prospective, long-term follow-up study on 118 patients with Takayasu's disease. A comparison of the angiograms obtained at different times in 1 patient was made. Using the life-table method, decrease in the percentage of patients who required prednisolone therapy is estimated. In addition, the method of prednisolone therapy is given attention. © 1991.