The Asia Pacific meeting on vasculitis and ANCA 2012 workshop on Takayasu arteritis: advances in diagnosis and medical treatment.

Takayasu arteritis is a rare disease affecting especially young females. Nonspecific symptoms make the diagnosis difficult; cases in which a diagnosis has not been made for a long period are not rare. However, recent progress in imaging modalities including magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography, and positron emission tomography have allowed making specific diagnoses in the early stage. Although specific serological markers of this disease are not known, many biomarkers specific to arterial inflammation are being developed and applied for diagnosing this disease. Also, advances in immunosuppressive treatment including new biological agents could alter the clinical outcome of the disease. According to these changes in diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis of Takayasu arteritis has been improving.