Abstract
Background:
Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is an uncommon disease, characterized by granulomatous vasculitis of medium and large arteries especially aorta and its branches. The incidence of TA is calculated to be 0.26-case/100,000/ year in the USA. Neurological involvement is reported in only a minority of patients and occurrence of neurological syndromes as the first manifestation of the disease has been rarely reported. We are describing epidemiological characteristics of a rare disease.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) (years 2000-2011) in adult hospitalizations for AIS to compare the outcomes [Death, All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APRDRGs) Risk Mortality (likelihood of dying), Discharge Disposition, APRDRG severity (loss of function)] of patients with TA using ICD-9-CM codes. The APRDRGs are assigned using software developed by 3M Health Information Systems. We also compared their epidemiological characteristics like age, race, gender, preexisting comorbidities, length of stay, and expenditure for treatment. We performed weighted analysis using chi-square and t-test.
Results:
Among 5,223,800 AIS hospitalizations, 274 were diagnosed with TA. Analysis revealed most TA patients were female (90.7%) and younger in age (Mean: 50.3 years), in compare to non-TA. It was more common in white population. With high likelihood of dying, TA cohort had higher percentage of major loss of function in compare to non-TA. AIS with TA were having longer length of stay and higher cost of treatment (Table).
Conclusion:
Even though AIS hospitalizations with TA are relatively rare, further research is needed to determine other associations of TA, as it is a burden on healthcare, which has higher association with disability and higher cost.