Anesthetic management of Takayasu's arteritis for cesarean section

Takayasu's arteritis (TA), also called pulseless disease, aortic arch syndrome, occlusive thromboaortopathy, or aortic arteritis, is a chronic vasculitis mainly involving the aorta and/ or, its main branches, such as the brachiocephalic, carotid, subclavian, vertebral, renal, coronary and pulmonary arteries. Major challenges for anesthesia in patients with TA involve severe uncontrolled hypertension, end-organ dysfunction, stenosis of major blood vessels, and difficulties in monitoring arterial blood pressure. The cardiovascular complications attributed to the disease can be seriously enhanced during pregnancy. We present successful anesthetic management of emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia in a parturient with long-standing Takayasu's disease with renovascular hypertension complicated by eclampsia. Key words: Takayasu's disease; Arteritis; Hypertension; Anesthesia, General