Four years follow-up study in patients with Takayasu arteritis and severe aortic regurgitation; assessment by echocardiography

We prospectively performed the follow-up study in 11 female patients with Takayasu arteritis and severe aortic regurgitation by echocardiography. A mean follow-up period was 4 years. The inflammatory state was controlled in all patients. Antihypertensive agents including β-blocker were administered in nine patients. Heart failure did not progress in all patients except one. No candidate for cardiac surgery appeared during the follow-up period. Aortic root diameter, left atrial, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions, wall thickness, left ventricular mass, and percent fractional shortening of the left ventricle showed no significant change in echocardiography. These data indicate that left ventricular disturbance might be slowly progressive in patients with Takayasu arteritis and severe aortic regurgitation. Systemic hypertension and the inflammatory state should be well controlled in managing the patients. β-blocker might be useful in some patients with Takayasu arteritis and severe aortic regurgitation. Further follow-up is necessary for the decision of the cardiac surgical indication.