TAKAYASU ARTERITIS IN MEXICO - A 38-YEAR CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE THROUGHLITERATURE-REVIEW

A literature search covering national reports since the first publishe d in Mexico (1957), discloses 237 adults and 55 children with a defini tive diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis. This condition was first recog nized by an ophthalmologist in 1946, and it was communicated 10 years after his observation. Since 1957, 11 clinical papers on Takayasu's ar teritis had been published in Mexico and abroad; in contrast few paper s were published in other Latinamerican countries and even in North Am erica. Takayasu's arteritis in Mexico follows the clinical pattern des cribed in Asian reports, it affects mainly non-caucasic young women, i s a chronic disease which causes prominent cardiovascular complaints. Children developed a systemic disease with higher morbility and mortal ity. Uncommon diseases, such as Takayasu's arteritis represent an uniq ue opportunity to compare clinical and biological profile among differ ent populations to gain valuable knowledge and understanding of ethiop athogenesis.