Familial Takayasu arteritis - a pediatric case and a review of the literature

Takayasu arteritis (ta) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the aorta and its major branches. it is seen predominantly in females during the second and third decades of life,although it can occur in childhood. the aetiology of ta remains unknown. to date,familial cases of ta have been considered rare; however,a review of the literature suggests that cases are accumulating. we report a case of two sisters affected by severe ta,and review other reported familial cases. © 2011 morishita et al; licensee biomed central ltd.