[Clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in pediatric patients]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and summarize the experience on the diagnosis and treatment of aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in pediatric patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective study. Five pediatric patients diagnosed as aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to August 2018 were included. The clinical features, methods of examination, treatment and outcome were analyzed. Results: There were 2 male and 3 female patients in this cohort. The age of onset ranged from 10 to 13 years. The main clinical symptoms were as follows: intermittent claudication and hypertension (5 patients), heart failure (3 patients). Three patients with heart failure were misdiagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in other hospitals. Except 1 patient died due to disease aggravation before operation, the other 4 patients received interventional therapy for severe heart failure or refractory hypertension on the basis of hormone anti-inflammatory treatment, including 2 patients treated with aortic balloon dilatation and 2 patients treated with aortic balloon dilatation and stent implantation. In post-operational follow-up, clinical symptoms and laboratory examination values of the 4 patients treated with interventional therapy were significantly improved. Conclusions: The clinical symptoms of pediatric patients with aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis mainly present with intermittent claudication, hypertension and heart failure. Aortic intervention strategy should be applied for pediatric patients with severe heart failure or refractory hypertension as early as possible.