Takayasu Arteritis and Pregnancy

Poor obstetric outcomes in women with takayasu arteritis: a retrospective cohort study

The objective of this study was to assess the pregnancy outcomes in a cohort of patients who experienced pregnancies before and/or after being diagnosed with Takayasu's arteritis (TA). The present investigation encompassed a total of 88 pregnancies seen in a cohort of 35 patients who met the criteria outlined by the American College of Rheumatology in 1990 for the classification of Takayasu arteritis (TA). Pregnancies were classified into two categories. 1. Pregnancies that occurred before the diagnosis (pre-d or pre-TA) 2. Pregnancies that happened following a diagnosis (post-d or post-TA). Fifty-nine pregnancies (67.0%) occurred in 21 TA patients before the diagnosis with and a complication rate of 15.2%, and twenty-nine pregnancies (33.0%) occurred in 14 patients concomitant with or after TA diagnosis and complication rate 100%. Although the hypertension rate was higher in the pre-d group than in the post-d group, it was not significant (32.2% vs. 10.3%, p = 0.160). However, preeclampsia (20.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.001), low birth weight (27.5% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.001), and prematurity (24.1% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.035) were observed more frequently in the post-d group compared to the pre-d group. The frequency of abortions and in-utero deaths were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). Patients with hypertension had significantly higher rates of preeclampsia (p = 0.003), preterm birth (p = 0.036), low birth weight (p = 0.250), abortion (p = 0.018), in utero death (p = 0.128), and cesarean section (p = 0.005) than those without hypertension. Renal artery involvement was detected in 15 (42.8%) patients. All patients with renal artery involvement had hypertension, and they had significantly more pregnancy complications than the other group (p = 0.001). TA negatively affects pregnancy outcomes. A good control of arterial hypertension before conception and during pregnancy is critical to improve both maternal and fetal outcomes. In addition, detecting renal artery stenosis before pregnancy is important in reducing possible negative pregnancy outcomes.

Maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancy in women with primary systemic vasculitis: A single-center cohort study of 20 patients and 30 pregnancies

OBJECTIVES

To analyze pregnancy outcomes of patients with primary systemic vasculitis followed in a third-level referral center.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of all pregnant women with systemic vasculitis followed between 2009 and 2022 at the High-Risk Pregnancy Clinic of the Department of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases of the Hospital Clínic, Barcelona.

RESULTS

Twenty women with primary vasculitis were identified, with a total of 30 pregnancies. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (n = 7) and Behçet disease (n = 4) were the most frequent types of vasculitis. All women had the diagnosis of vasculitis before pregnancy, with a median time between disease diagnosis and pregnancy of 5.8 years (range: 2 months-29 years). Most were in remission at conception (76.7 %). During pregnancy, a vasculitis flare occurred in 4 (13.3 %) patients (one each with Takayasu arteritis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis [EGPA], IgA vasculitis [IgAV], and Behçet disease [BD]). Four (16.7 %) of the successful pregnancies had post-partum relapses (one each with EGPA, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, IgAV, and BD). Eighty percent of pregnancies resulted in live babies. In four cases (13.3 %), medical termination of pregnancy was decided, considering the mother or baby health risk. There were two spontaneous miscarriages, and no stillbirths or neonatal deaths. Preeclampsia was the most frequent maternal complication (25 %). Newborns were preterm in 24 % and low birthweight in 20 % of cases. No maternal deaths occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

This cohort study shows that vasculitis relapses during pregnancy and post-partum, together with other pregnancy complications, occur in a considerable number of patients with systemic vasculitides, although a final good pregnancy outcome can be expected in most cases. These findings emphasize the convenience of managing these special situations in expert reference centers.

Chinese guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of Takayasu's arteritis (2023)

Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease that involves aorta and its primary branches. It is characterized by wall thickening, stenosis/obliteration or aneurysm formation of the involved arteries. In order to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of TAK in China, a clinical practice guideline with an evidence-based approach is developed under the leadership of National Clinical Medical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases (NCRC-DID). Eleven recommendations for 11 clinical questions that are important to the diagnosis and treatment of TAK are developed based on the latest evidence and expert opinions combined with real clinical practice in China.

Evaluation of obstetric outcomes in Brazilian pregnant women with Takayasu arteritis

OBJECTIVE

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a rare chronic granulomatous vasculitis that affects large vessels and usually begins in women of childbearing age, so it is not uncommon for pregnancies to occur in these patients. However, there is limited information about these pregnancies, with reports of adverse maternal and obstetric outcomes. The objective of this study is to evaluate adverse maternal, fetal and neonatal events in pregnant patients with TA.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection. We reviewed 22 pregnancies in 18 patients with TAK, according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria, that were followed up in a high-risk prenatal clinic specialized in systemic autoimmune diseases and thrombophilia (PrAT) at Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, from 1998 to 2021.

RESULTS

In twenty-two pregnancies, the mean age of patients was 28.09 years and the mean duration disease was 10.9 years. Of the 18 patients with TAK studied, only one had the diagnosis during pregnancy and had active disease. All other patients had a previous diagnosis of TAK and only 3 had disease activity during pregnancy. Twelve patients (66.6%) had previous systemic arterial hypertension and eleven (61.1%) had renal involvement. Among maternal complications, eight patients (36.3%) developed preeclampsia and six (27.2%) had uncontrolled blood pressure without proteinuria, while 10 (45%) had puerperal complications. Four (18.1%) births were premature, all due to severe preeclampsia and eight newborns (34.7%) were small for gestational age. When all maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes included in this study were considered, only 6 (27.2%) pregnancies were uneventful.

CONCLUSION

Although there were no maternal deaths or pregnancy losses in this study, the number of adverse events was considerably high. Hypertensive disorders and small for gestational age newborns were more common than general population, while the number of patients with active disease was low. These findings suggest that pregnancies in patients with TAK still have several complications and a high-risk prenatal care and delivery are necessary for these patients.

Management of Takayasu arteritis

This review overviews the challenges in the assessment of disease activity, damage, and therapy of Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Recently developed disease activity scores for TAK are more useful for follow-up visits and require validation of cut-offs for active disease. A validated damage score for TAK is lacking. Computed tomography angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and ultrasound enable the evaluation of vascular anatomy and arterial wall characteristics of TAK. 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) visualizes arterial wall metabolic activity and complements the information provided by circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. ESR and CRP alone moderately reflect TAK disease activity. TAK is corticosteroid-responsive but relapses upon tapering corticosteroids. Conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are the first-line maintenance agents, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, tocilizumab, or tofacitinib are second-line agents for TAK. Revascularization procedures for TAK should be used judiciously during periods of inactive disease.

Pregnancy outcomes in Takayasu arteritis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a systemic disease affecting women of reproductive age. Similarly to other systemic autoimmune diseases, pregnancies in patients suffering from TA are at high risk for adverse outcomes; however, the precise incidence of adverse events has not been assessed in a systematic approach. To evaluate the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in TA. Searches were conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Cinahl databases from inception to 25 May 2022. Three independent investigators extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using ROBINS-1 tool. We used a random effects model to calculate the prevalence of the adverse pregnancy outcomes in TA, namely miscarriage, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. We calculated the prevalence of the adverse outcomes in pregnancy for TA. We included 27 studies, with 825 pregnancies. The occurrence of miscarriage, hypertension and pre-eclampsia in patients with TA was 16% (CI 12-21%, p < 0.01), 37% (CI 30-45%, p < 0.01) and 14% (CI 8-23%, p < 0.01), respectively. The results of our meta-analysis indicate that pregnancies in patients with TA are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to the general population, suggesting that pregnant women with TA should be closely monitored.Trial registration: There was no registration for this systematic review. The aim of this study was to evaluate etc in order to be correct by syntax.

Takayasu Arteritis: JACC Focus Seminar 3/4

Takayasu arteritis is a rare idiopathic large-vessel vasculitis that typically affects young women. An early "prepulseless" stage is often missed, associated with nonspecific constitutional symptoms (fever, malaise, and weight loss) and elevated inflammatory markers. Unchecked disease progression leads to the "pulseless" stage, manifest clinically by missing pulses, vascular tenderness, and ischemic symptoms (limb claudication, dizziness, angina, and renovascular hypertension), and is characterized pathologically by arterial wall thickening and stenotic/occlusive lesions or aneurysm formation. Vascular complications (stroke, blindness, heart failure, and aneurysm rupture) could follow unless disease progression is halted by immunosuppressive therapy and critical lesions are palliated by timely endovascular therapy or open surgery. Early diagnosis, effective therapy, and lifelong surveillance for disease activity relapses and vascular disease progression are critical to successful long-term outcomes. The outlook for patients has improved significantly in recent years with the establishment of diagnostic and classification criteria, better investigational modalities, and more effective medical and invasive therapy.

A comprehensive guide for managing the reproductive health of patients with vasculitis

Vasculitides and their therapies affect all areas of the reproductive life cycle. The ACR, EULAR and the Drugs and Lactation database offer guidance on the management of the reproductive health of patients with rheumatic diseases; however, these guidelines do not address patients with vasculitis specifically. This Review discusses the guidance from multiple expert panels and how these recommendations might apply to men and women with vasculitis, including the safety of contraception, use of assisted reproductive technology, preservation of fertility during cyclophosphamide therapy, disease management in pregnancy and the use of medications compatible with pregnancy and lactation. These discussions are augmented by the existing literature on vasculitis in pregnancy to enable physicians to provide comprehensive, precise and high quality care to patients with vasculitis. The contents of this Review, in conjunction with educational tools, serve to empower patients and physicians to participate in shared decision-making regarding pregnancy prevention, planning and management.

This Review discusses how best to manage the reproductive health of patients with vasculitis, including the safety of contraception, the use of assisted reproductive technology, preservation of fertility during therapy, disease management in pregnancy and the use of medications compatible with pregnancy and lactation.

Rheumatologists have the opportunity to initiate discussions with patients with vasculitis regarding family planning to make proactive decisions leading to improved pregnancy planning, management and outcomes.

Birth control options and infertility interventions for women with vasculitis depend on their risk of thrombosis, serological profile and comorbid conditions.

The majority of pregnancies in patients with vasculitis can be successful with the use of advanced family planning, medications compatible with pregnancy and lactation, and multidisciplinary collaboration among specialists.

Vasculitis exacerbations and pregnancy complications can present with similar and overlapping clinical manifestations.

Multiple expert panels provide guidelines and risk stratification regarding medication use in pregnancy and breastfeeding that can be applied to patients with vasculitis.

Managing puerperium in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases: an update

INTRODUCTION

Puerperium is a critical period for patients affected by autoimmune rheumatic diseases for the risk of disease's flares and difficulties in treating lactating mothers. We want to summarize the literature data about psychological and pharmacological management of these patients and possible risk factors of disease's flares.

AREAS COVERED

We made a narrative review on recent studies about puerperium in rheumatic autoimmune diseases patients.

EXPERT OPINION

The physicians involved in management of patients during puerperium and in the follow-up of babies need to agree on maternal treatment because they need to reassure mothers about the safety of the prescribed medications. Furthermore, women with rheumatic diseases could present some musculoskeletal limitations and psychological problems, such as postpartum depression, which can lead to a sense of inadequacy to the mother's task. Families and physicians should be aware of these possible complications and support the new mothers providing correct counseling and practical help.

Beyond Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome: The Relevance of Complement From Pathogenesis to Pregnancy Outcome in Other Systemic Rheumatologic Diseases

Evidence about the relevance of the complement system, a highly conserved constituent of the innate immunity response that orchestrates the elimination of pathogens and the inflammatory processes, has been recently accumulated in many different rheumatologic conditions. In rheumatoid arthritis, complement, mainly the classical pathway, contributes to tissue damage especially in seropositive subjects, with complement activation occurring in the joint. Data about complement pathways in psoriatic arthritis are dated and poorly consistent; among patients with Sjögren syndrome, hypocomplementemia exerts a prognostic role, identifying patients at risk of extra-glandular manifestations. Hints about complement involvement in systemic sclerosis have been recently raised, following the evidence of complement deposition in affected skin and in renal samples from patients with scleroderma renal crisis. In vasculitides, complement plays a dual role: on one hand, stimulation of neutrophils with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) results in the activation of the alternative pathway, on the other, C5a induces translocation of ANCA antigens, favouring the detrimental role of antibodies. Complement deposition in the kidneys identifies patients with more aggressive renal disease; patients with active disease display low serum levels of C3 and C4. Even though in dermatomyositis sC5b-9 deposits are invariably present in affected muscles, data on C3 and C4 fluctuation during disease course are scarce. C3 and C1q serum levels have been explored as potential markers of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis, whereas data in Behçet disease are limited to in vitro observations. Pregnancies in women with rheumatologic conditions are still burdened by a higher rate of pregnancy complications, thus the early identification of women at risk would be invaluable. A fine-tuning of complement activation is required from a physiological progression of pregnancy, from pre-implantation stages, through placentation to labour. Complement deregulation has been implicated in several pregnancy complications, such as recurrent abortion, eclampsia and premature birth; low complement levels have been shown to reliably identify women at risk of complications. Given its physiologic role in orchestrating pregnancy progression and its involvement as pathogenic effector in several rheumatologic conditions, complement system is an attractive candidate biomarker to stratify the obstetric risk among women with rheumatologic conditions.

Management of a patient in the state of total occlusion of aorta due to Takayasu arteritis in preconceptional and pregnancy period

Objectives

Total aortic occlusion is a severe complication of Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Pregnancy follow-up in the state of total aortic occlusion due to TAK has not been reported before.

Case presentation

A 35 year-old nulliparous woman with total aortic occlusion in the distal aorta due to TAK, admitted with pregnancy desire. She had developed a collateral vessel system which has maintained the lower body circulation. She was informed about the potential risks after an evaluation and she admitted to our clinic at the seventh week of pregnancy, and acetylsalicylic acid was prescribed. At 20th gestational week anomaly screening was in normal limits although the uterine artery Doppler had lower S/D, PI and RI values. She was followed-up regularly in every two weeks. Vascular examination was performed by using an ankle brachial index (ABI) by duplex ultrasound. At 20th gestational week ankle brachial index score was 0.8–0.9 which indicates mild disease. Around 28th gestational week her claudication got worse again and ABI was in moderate level (0.5–0.8) and low molecular weight heparin was started. Until 37th gestational week her disease was stable, ABI was above 0.5, her blood pressure was in normal limits, no vascular complication occurred and the baby’s growth percentile was at 25th centile. At 37th gestational week a 2,640 g baby was delivered. Patient was discharged without any complications at third post-operative day.

Conclusions

Complicated TAK patients may have good obstetric outcomes with a multidisciplinary approach in experienced tertiary centers.

Pregnancy in Takayasu's arteritis has a high risk of hypertension-related fetomaternal complications: A retrospective study of a Turkish cohort

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine fetomaternal outcomes in pregnant women in a large Turkish Takayasu arteritis (TAK) cohort and to evaluate the effects of pregnancy on the disease in those patients.

METHODS

This is a cohort study involving 296 pregnancies of 112 TAK patients from 8 tertiary rheumatology centers in Turkey. Pregnancies were divided into 2 groups as pre-d (before disease onset) and post-d (after disease onset). In addition, post-d pregnancies were further divided into 2 subgroups according to fetomaternal complications (FMC) development status. Finally, patients were grouped into those with and without a history of pregnancy after disease onset.

RESULTS

In post-d pregnancies, rates of worsening hypertension, new-onset hypertension, and preeclampsia were higher than in pre-d pregnancies (0.9% vs 16%, P < .001, 0.5% vs 5.3%, P = .012, and 0% vs 4%, P = .013, respectively). Patients with FMC were more likely to have renal artery involvement (65% vs 21%, P = .003). The patients who had post-d were younger, had longer disease duration, and had more relapses number than other patients (P < .001, P = .028, P = .016, respectively). Vasculitis Damage Index (VDI) results were similar in patients with or without post-d pregnancies.

CONCLUSION

Pregnancies after disease onset were found to be associated with HT and preeclampsia/eclampsia. HT-related FMCs are increased in TAK, and patients with renal artery involvement are at higher risk. The number of relapses increases in patients who become pregnant after disease onset, but pregnancy was not an independent risk factor for relapse. Pregnancy after the onset of disease had no negative effect on VDI.

[New aspects of rare rheumatic diseases during pregnancy]

For some rare rheumatic diseases the data situation on fertility and pregnancy is still scant. This article attempts to present the data known so far and to derive and supplement some treatment recommendations from the data. A stable disease situation before the pregnancy drastically reduces the risk of complications for mother and child; therefore, an appropriate and timely adjustment of treatment in consultation with patients and gynecologists is important.

Refractory convulsive syncope in pregnancy: a rare presentation of Takayasu's arteritis - a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Neurological manifestation of Takayasu's Arteritis (TA) in pregnancy presenting as convulsive syncope is extremely rare, and poses a serious diagnostic dilemma due to other vast causes of fits in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to present and shed more light on a case of TA with convulsive syncope in pregnancy refractory to anticonvulsants for seven weeks, and review the literature on the management of TA in pregnancy.

CASE PRESENTATION

A gravida 4 para 3+0 at 28 weeks of amenorrhea presented with repeated episodes of the sudden loss of consciousness, followed by a fall and jerking of the limbs. These were refractory to anticonvulsants that she had used for seven weeks. Physical examination revealed undetectable pulse and blood pressure (BP) in the upper limbs but elevated BP in the lower limbs. Further investigations confirmed TA and she improved on steroids and antihypertensives.

CONCLUSION

This case typically describes the unexpected presentation of TA with convulsive syncope. It calls for meticulous clinical assessment of epileptic seizures in pregnancy to avoid a late diagnosis of TA and its potential poor outcomes.

Pregnancy outcome in Takayasu arteritis

A young pregnant woman, G2P1L1, was admitted for safe confinement at 40 weeks of gestation with Takayasu arteritis. She was diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis in 2016 when she had polyarthritis, hypertension and asymmetrical peripheral pulses. Her CT angiogram showed involvement of branches of aortic arch and coeliac trunk. She had mild pulmonary hypertension and was classified as type V disease (P)+. She was started on immunosuppressant medication and achieved a fair control of symptoms and disease activity. She gave history of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis for 6 months in 2016 after which she developed polyarthralgia. She is currently asymptomatic and had mild hypertension that was controlled. She was evaluated for evidence of aneurysms/thrombus/aortic insufficiency and taken up for elective caesarean in view of type V disease. Maternal and perinatal outcome was good and she was discharged on her regular medication as per immunology opinion.

Update on pregnancy in Takayasu arteritis-A narrative review

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic, idiopathic large-vessel vasculitis that affects women of reproductive age, and has significant maternal and fetal implications. Although there are contrasting data on the effect of TA on fertility, most studies have shown that fertility outcomes remain unaffected. The disease activity of TA usually either remains stable or decreases during pregnancy. The important fetomaternal complications are maternal hypertension, pre-eclampsia, prematurity, and intrauterine growth restriction. To reduce maternal and fetal morbidity, controlling the disease before conception is important. This review article discusses the various implications, challenges, and medical and endovascular management of TA during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Morbidities in Korean Patients with Takayasu Arteritis: A Monocentric Pilot Study

We investigated pregnancy morbidities in Korean patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA) in a single tertiary hospital as a pilot study. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 12 pregnancies in seven patients with TA. All patients were diagnosed with TA based on the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. The medical records of patients were well-documented, allowing review of clinical data including pregnancy morbidities. The angiographic and Ishikawa classifications at diagnosis and TA activity at delivery were assessed. Of the 12 pregnancies, two pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion (16.7%), and one pregnancy (8.3%) had therapeutic abortion at 9 weeks due to maternal morbidity. Among the remaining nine pregnancies, only one child was delivered via normal spontaneous vaginal delivery, and the remaining eight were delivered by Caesarean section. Two out of nine (22.2%) neonates were born with low birth weight, and one of them was born at 30 weeks of gestation. The most common maternal complication was hypertension affecting 7/12 (58.3%) pregnancies. Preeclampsia occurred in one pregnancy, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurred in two pregnancies. At delivery, disease activity of TA was stable in all pregnancies, and glucocorticoids were administered in nine pregnancies. Live birth rate of pregnant Korean patients with TA was 75%. Future studies are needed to reduce pregnancy-related complications.

Pregnancy Outcomes in Systemic Vasculitides

Purpose of Review

In recent years, improvements in the recognition of primary vasculitides and increased treatment options have led to greater survival rates and a better quality of life for patients. Therefore, pregnancy in women with vasculitis has become a more frequent consideration or event. Literature on pregnancy outcomes in this population has grown and allowed us, in this article, to review the effects of pregnancy on disease activity, as well as maternal and fetal outcomes for each type of vasculitides.

Recent Findings

Successful pregnancies in patients with vasculitides are possible, especially when conception is planned, and the disease is in remission. The risk of vasculitis flare is highly dependent on the type of vasculitis, but overall limited. The most frequent complication associated with large-vessel vasculitis (mainly Takayasu arteritis) is hypertension and preeclampsia. Preterm deliveries and intrauterine growth restriction occur more frequently with small- and medium-vessel vasculitis.

Summary

Pregnancies in patients with vasculitis should be considered high risk and followed by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in the field. Flares should be managed as in the non-pregnant population, while avoiding medications with unknown safety in pregnancy or known teratogens. Although commonly prescribed for the prevention of preeclampsia, there is limited evidence supporting the use of low-dose aspirin for pregnant women with vasculitis. Prospective registries or studies are needed, to better assess the value of aspirin, the place and long-term impact of new biologics and, to identify predictors of pregnancy outcomes other than disease status at conception.

Pregnancy issues in Takayasu arteritis

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown origin affecting large vessels, predominantly the aorta and its main branches. TAK usually affects young women and the management of pregnancy during this vasculitis may be a challenging situation. After a review of the literature, we analysed the data of 505 pregnancies in 373 TAK patients. We discuss main results to clarify if the pregnancy outcome is affected by TAK, especially during disease clinical onset or disease activity. We also discuss the potential impact of pregnancy on TAK prognosis. Disease activity of TAK appears independently associated with a poor pregnancy outcome. More than 5% of pregnant women with TAK develop a life-threatening maternal cardiovascular complication. A good control of TAK disease activity and arterial hypertension before conception and during pregnancy is critical to improve both maternal and foetal outcomes. Pregnancies in the setting of TAK should be considered high-risk, requiring a close collaboration between specialists involved in the care of TAK and obstetricians.

Poor obstetric outcomes in Indian women with Takayasu arteritis

INTRODUCTION

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) affects young women in the childbearing age group. We studied obstetric outcomes in these patients before and after disease onset.

METHODS

Women aged more than 18 years with Takayasu's arteritis (ACR 1990 criteria) were included. Demographic data, clinical features, disease activity using Indian Takayasu Arteritis clinical score (ITAS), Disease Extent Index for TA (DEI.TaK) and damage assessment using TA Damage score (TA), history of conception and maternal and fetal outcomes were recorded from hospital records and telephonic interview. Results are in median and IQR.

RESULTS

Of the 64 women interviewed, aged 29 (24-38) years and disease duration 5 (4-10) years, 74 and 38 pregnancies had occurred before and after disease diagnosis in 29 and 20 women respectively. In eight, the diagnosis was made during pregnancy. Age at disease onset was 22 (18-30) years. Type 5 disease was the most common (n = 32, 59.3%), and an equal number of patients had Ishikawa's class I and II disease (n = 26, 40.6%). Median ITAS (n = 44) was 13 (7-16), DEI.Tak 12.5 (9-16.75) and TADS 8 (6.5-10). Twenty-five patients wanted to get pregnant, of which 8 (32%) did not do so because of their disease. Fifteen were unmarried of whom 6 did not marry due to disease. Obstetric outcomes were poorer in pregnancies that occurred after the onset of disease as compared with those before it (RR = 1.5, p = 0.01). Pregnancies after the onset of TA carried a very high risk of maternal [RR3.9 (1.8-8.5), P < 0.001] as well as fetal complications [RR = 2.0 (1.2-3.4), p = 0.001]. Hypertension was the most common maternal complication and occurred most often in the last trimester. The baby weight at birth was lower in pregnancies after disease (2.3 vs. 3.0, p = 0.01). Wong's score greater than or equal to 4 predicted lower birth weight (p = 0.04). ITAS, ITAS-A, DEI. Tak and TADS could not predict obstetric outcomes, and ITAS score exhibited moderate correlation with DEI. Tak (r = 0.78) and TADS (r = 0.58).

CONCLUSION

Women with TA suffer from extremely high risk of poor maternal and foetal outcomes. Wong's scoring can be useful to predict birth weight.

Pregnancy and Takayasu arteritis: case-based review

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare large vessel vasculitis that particularly affects women of child-bearing age. Management of pregnant patients with TA is often challenging due to the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications of the disease. We report two new cases of pregnancy in patients with TA and review all published cases from sub-Saharan Africa. Analysis of 16 pregnancies in 15 patients (including our two cases) showed that seven patients had radiographic Type V TA disease, namely involvement of the entire length of the aorta. Four patients were newly diagnosed with TA during pregnancy and two pregnancies were unbooked at time of first presentation. Seven pregnancies were complicated by disease flares (n = 4) and/or hypertension (n = 6). Four pregnancies resulted in preterm delivery and six required caesarean sections. There was one documented case of pre-eclampsia resulting in the only maternal death. Intrauterine growth restriction was documented in two of six pregnancies in which foetal ultrasonography was performed. There were four low birth weight infants and one fresh stillbirth (associated with the maternal death). In the handful of case reports of pregnancy in TA from sub-Saharan Africa, both maternal and foetal outcomes were generally good and similar to international findings. In a substantial proportion of patients, the diagnosis of TA was made in pregnancy, reflecting challenges of access to appropriate health care in resource constrained sub-Saharan Africa.

Autoimmune diseases and pregnancy

Pregnancy in autoimmune diseases remains an argument of debate. In last years great improvements were done and with the correct medical support women with disease such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or Antiphospholipid Syndrome can afford a pregnancy and have healthy babies. The starting point is a good counselling. Women should be informed about risks that can occur taking some medications while pregnant and, on the other hand, that there are medications that can be safety assumed during pregnancy. Furthermore, there are known maternal risks factor such as the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies or anti-Ro/SSA antibodies that must be carefully manage by both rheumatologists and obstetrics. In addition, also disease activity during pregnancy can represent an issue. For all these reason, a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory in order to give our patients an optimal medical support, before, during and after pregnancy.

Significant infrarenal aortic stenosis in pregnancy: a case report

Background

Hypertension is common in pregnant women presenting with aortic coarctation or Takayasu’s arteritis. Uncontrolled hypertension leads to increased adverse maternal and neonatal events.

Case presentation

A 36-year-old gravida 2, para 1 Caucasian woman presented at 9 weeks of gestation with headaches but normal blood pressure. She had a past medical history of an in vitro fertilization pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia at 27 weeks of gestation (birth weight 1900 g) and infrarenal aortic stenosis. In the current pregnancy, she received aspirin and calcium as preeclampsia prophylaxis, remained normotensive throughout pregnancy, and was delivered by elective cesarean section at 37 weeks without complications.

Conclusions

This case demonstrates a significant chronic aortopathy in pregnancy with normal fetal growth and uterine blood flow through collateral supply from the internal mammary and epigastric arteries.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13256-019-2057-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Disease activity assessment of rheumatic diseases during pregnancy: a comprehensive review of indices used in clinical studies

Pregnancy requires a special management in women with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RDs), with the aim of controlling maternal disease activity and avoiding fetal complications. Despite the heterogeneous course of RDs during pregnancy, their impact on pregnancy largely relates to the extent of active inflammation at the time of conception. Therefore, accurate evaluation of disease activity is crucial for the best management of pregnant patients. Nevertheless, there are limitations in using conventional measures of disease activity in pregnancy, as some items included in these instruments can be biased by symptoms or by physiological changes related to pregnancy and the pregnancy itself may influence laboratory parameters used to assess disease activity. This article aims to summarize the current literature about the available instruments to measure disease activity during pregnancy in RDs. Systemic lupus erythematosus is the only disease with instruments that have been modified to account for several adaptations which might interfere with the attribution of signs or symptoms to disease activity during pregnancy. No modified-pregnancy indices exist for women affected by other RDs, but standard indices have been applied to pregnant patients. The current body of knowledge shows that the physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy need to be either adapted from existing instruments or developed to improve the management of pregnant women with RDs. Standardized instruments to assess disease activity during pregnancy would be helpful not only for clinical practice but also for research purposes.

Management and evaluation of pregnant women with Takayasu arteritis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical characteristics, obstetric/neonatal outcomes, and pregnancy complications of pregnant women with Takayasu arteritis (TA).

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the data of 22 pregnancies of 11 patients with TA between January 1 2000, and December 31 2017. Patient characteristics, severity of disease, obstetric outcomes, pregnancy complications, mode of delivery, and neonatal outcomes were evaluated.

RESULTS

Based on the angiographic classification, four, two, one, three, and one patient were classified into groups I, IIa, III, IV, and V, respectively. Based on Ishikawa criteria, five, two, two, and two patients were classified into groups 2a, 1, 2b, and 3, respectively. Sixteen and five pregnancies resulted in live births and spontaneous abortion, respectively. One pregnancy was terminated due to prenatally diagnosed trisomy 21. Relapse of TA was observed in five pregnancies. Mean age at diagnosis was 24.54 ± 6.23 years, and mean age at conception was 30.30 ± 4.80 years. There were two multiple pregnancies (one twin and one triplet) and 19 newborns were delivered alive. Rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm birth, intrauterine growth retardation, oligohydramnios, and intrauterine fetal demise were 36.4, 18.2, 13.6, 13.6, and 0%, respectively. Mean gestational age at birth was 37.25 ± 2.40 weeks and mean birthweight was 2682.10 ± 176.82 g. Median APGAR score was 8. Cesarean section rate was 50%. Regional anesthesia/analgesia was administered during 62.5% of the deliveries. Ten neonates were admitted to neonatal intensive care unit and eight neonates had neonatal respiratory complications.

CONCLUSION

Appropriate management of pregnant women with TA within the framework of antenatal care programs and adopting a multidisciplinary approach are key to ensure successful outcomes.

Associations between maternal clinical features and fetal outcomes in pregnancies of mothers with connective tissue diseases

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to clarify associations between maternal clinical features and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in mothers with connective tissue diseases (CTDs).

METHODS

We retrospectively examined maternal clinical features including backgrounds, autoantibodies, CTD flare-ups, and therapies during pregnancies as well as fetal outcomes in 90 pregnancies (66 mothers) at our hospital from January 2006 to September 2016.

RESULTS

Underlying CTDs were SLE (N = 41), MCTD (N = 10), RA (N = 15), SS (N = 10), and others (N = 14). Anti-SS-A antibody was detected in 60.3%, lupus anticoagulant (LAC) was in 11.4%, and anti-cardiolipin-β2glycoprotein1 antibody was in 18.5%. Flare-ups of CTDs occurred in 20 pregnancies (22.2%). Corticosteroids (CS) was administered in 73 pregnancies, immunosuppressants in four, and biologics in one. Among the 85 pregnancies other than five early abortions within 12 weeks of gestational age, 33 cases had APOs while the remaining 52 cases were normal. Although disease duration, MCTD, high dose of CS, flare-ups of CTDs, and positive LAC significantly correlated with APOs by univariate analysis, only MCTD was a significant independent predictor for APOs by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Disease duration, MCTD, high dose of CS, flare-ups of CTDs, and LAC might be possible predictive risk factors for APOs in pregnancies with CTDs. Of these, MCTD was a significant independent risk factor.

Takayasu arteritis a cause of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy: a case report

Background

Takayasu arteritis is a rare, chronic, granulomatous systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology and a few cases have been reported in pregnancy. In pregnancies concomitant with Takayasu arteritis or after diagnosis, Takayasu arteritis negatively affects pregnancy by increasing 13-fold the odds of complications such as hypertensive disorders. The best recommendations in this scenario are still to be made.

Case presentation

We present a case of 21-year-old, gravid 1, Mexican woman of Mestizo descent with chronic hypertension diagnosed since she was 15-years old who presented severe hypertension during pregnancy (early second trimester); the diagnosis of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy was ruled out requiring first-line and second-line antihypertensive therapy without serious associated maternal or fetal morbidity.

Conclusions

Takayasu arteritis and pregnancy play an important role in maternal and fetal outcomes. Efforts should be made to further investigate the Takayasu arteritis diagnosis in pregnant women with refractory hypertension.

Non-Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease in Women

OPINION STATEMENT

Takayasu arteritis, fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), spontaneous arterial dissection, Raynaud's phenomenon, and chilblains are vascular conditions that are associated with an increased predisposition in women and are often underdiagnosed. Takayasu arteritis has an incidence rate of 2.6 cases per million individuals per year in the USA and predominantly affects women of childbearing age. HLA-B5 genetic locus is linked with Takayasu arteritis susceptibility. Methods to determine active disease are limiting; currently utilized clinical and imaging findings and laboratory tests are of limited value for this purpose. Pregnancy poses risks for maternal and fetal complications, and these patients need additional monitoring and care before and after conception. Controlling hypertension and immunosuppression using steroids, biological and non-biological immunosuppressants, are key components of managing patients with this arteritis. FMD commonly affects middle-aged, white females. Its true prevalence is unknown. Renal and cerebrovascular beds are the most frequently involved vascular beds. Its clinical presentation varies from no symptoms to catastrophic events. Controlling vascular risk factors, periodic surveillance, and revascularization when indicated are important factors in FMD management. Spontaneous arterial dissections are less common, but are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in specific populations. Cervicocephalic dissection causes 10-20% of the strokes in young adults, and coronary artery dissection is the culprit in almost one fourth of young women presenting with acute myocardial infarction. Early diagnosis is key to improving prognosis in these patients, as the majority of patients have spontaneous resolution of the dissection with conservative management alone. Increased clinician awareness of the presentation features and angiographic findings are imperative for early diagnosis. Raynaud's phenomenon and chilblains are cold- or stress-induced cutaneous lesions, commonly involving distal extremities. Secondary causes such as connective tissue diseases and malignancies must be thoroughly excluded during evaluation of these conditions. Cold avoidance, systemic and local warming, and oral vasodilator therapy are the mainstays of therapy.

Challenges of Takayasu Arteritis in Pregnancy: A Case Report

Takayasu arteritis is a rare, chronic vasculitis of unknown etiology characterized by inflammation of the aorta and its main branches. Although Takayasu arteritis mostly affects women of childbearing age, there is a paucity in the literature on pregnancy associated with Takayasu arteritis. Pregnant patients are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, including hypertension and congestive heart failure, which may jeopardize both maternal and fetal outcomes. Furthermore, optimal management has not yet been established for pregnant patients with Takayasu arteritis, posing a clinical challenge. We present a case of a young woman with Takayasu arteritis whose symptoms and disease activity improved during 2 pregnancies. Although her first pregnancy was complicated with preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm vaginal delivery, her second pregnancy was uneventful. This case provides a rare glimpse of Takayasu arteritis in pregnancy and highlights the challenges of medical management in gravid patients.

Vasculitis and Pregnancy

Vasculitis is more often a disease of women beyond their reproductive years, leaving the challenges of pregnancy management difficult to study. Pregnancy complications, including pregnancy loss and preterm birth, are higher among women with all forms of vasculitis. It seems that controlling the disease before pregnancy may improve the chances of pregnancy success. Many medications used for vasculitis are considered low risk in pregnancy, including prednisone, colchicine, azathioprine, and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and mycophenolate mofetil should be avoided in pregnancy. Controlling disease with low-risk medications may allow women with vasculitis to have the pregnancies they desire.

Takayasu's Arteritis in Pregnancy: A Rare Case Report from a Tertiary Care Infirmary in India

Background. Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory, progressive, idiopathic arteriopathy, afflicting young women of reproductive age group, causing narrowing, occlusion, and aneurysms of systemic and pulmonary arteries, especially the aorta and its branches. During pregnancy, such patients warrant special attention. An interdisciplinary collaboration of obstetricians, cardiologists, and neurologists is necessary to improve maternal and fetal prognosis. Here a case is reported where a patient with diagnosis of TA, complicated by neurological sequelae, successfully fought the vagaries of the condition twice to deliver uneventfully. Case. 25-year-old G2P1L1 presented at 34 weeks of gestation, with chronic hypertension, with TA, with epilepsy, and with late-onset severe IUGR. Following a multidisciplinary approach, she delivered an alive born low birth weight baby (following induction). Her postpartum course remained uneventful. Conclusion. Pregnancy with TA poses a stringent challenge to an obstetrician. Despite advancements in cardiovascular management and advent of new-fangled drugs, the optimal management for pregnant patients with this disease still remains elusive.

Pregnancy in patients with autoimmune disease: A reality in 2016

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases are chronic systemic conditions often affecting young women during their reproductive years, so that pregnancy is a major issue in their management. For a long time pregnancy has been discouraged in these women, mainly for two reasons: gestation could aggravate maternal disease and, vice versa, the disease could negatively influence the gestational outcome. The great improvement in the approach to pregnancy done in the past few decades has allowed a progressively increasing number of affected women to fulfill their family plan. Women should be informed about potential risks related to their disease, but they should also be reassured that a good pregnancy outcome is possible if conception occurs in a stable remission state, teratogenic medications have been properly withdrawn and "safe" drugs have been mantained to prevent disease flare. A brief excursus regarding the main issues regarding SLE/APS, Systemic Sclerosis and Systemic Vasculitis is provided, in the attempt to delineate the main risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcome, the onset of maternal complications and the role played by a close multi-specialistic monitoring.

Updates in Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management of Takayasu Arteritis

BACKGROUND

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare, systemic, inflammatory vasculitis of granulomatous nature, and still of unknown etiology. It mainly involves the aorta and its major branches and is more commonly seen in women of childbearing age and Asians. TA leads to stenosis, occlusion, or aneurysmal degeneration of large arteries, and its pathogenesis seems to be mainly due to an abnormal cell-mediated immunity, although other molecular and genetic abnormalities may contribute. The diagnosis and treatments lie on clinical and arteriographic findings. Because of its fluctuating course, both clinical scores and biomarkers are currently evaluated. The aim of this review is to report a comprehensive and methodologically robust state of the art about Takayasu arteritis, including the latest data and evidences in the definition, epidemiology, pathogenesis and etiology, clinical manifestations and classification, diagnosis, assessment of disease activity and progression, biomarkers, and treatment.

METHODS

We searched all publications addressing definition, epidemiology, pathogenesis, etiology, classification, diagnosis, biomarkers, and treatment of TA. Randomized trials, cohort studies, and reviews were contemplated to give a breadth of clinical data. PubMed and Scopus were searched from August 2010 to November 2015.

RESULTS

Of the 3,056 records found, 267 matched our inclusion criteria. After reading the full-text articles, we decided to exclude 169 articles because of the following reasons: (1) no innovative or important content; (2) no multivariable analysis; (3) insufficient data; (4) no clear potential biases or strategies to solve them; (5) no clear end-points; and (6) inconsistent or arbitrary conclusions. The final set included 98 articles.

CONCLUSIONS

This review presents the last updates in all fields of Takayasu arteritis. Still today, large areas of TA pathogenesis and disease-activity assessment need to be further investigated to better treat patients with TA.

[Takayasu arteritis]

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown origin affecting large vessels, predominantly the aorta and its main branches. Vessel inflammation leads to wall thickening, fibrosis, and stenosis. The lesions are often asymptomatic leading to limb numbness, transient ischemic attack, cardiovascular event and renovascular hypertension. Treatment is based on corticosteroids, immunosuppressant and biologics if necessary. Endovascular treatment and open-surgery can be useful for end-organ ischemia relief.