Takayasu’s arteritis /tä′kəyä″so̅o̅z/ [Mikito Takayasu, Japanese surgeon, 1860–1938] , an inflammation of the aorta, its major branches, and the pulmonary artery. It is characterized by progressive occlusion of the innominate, left subclavian, and left common carotid arteries above their origin in the aortic arch. Signs of the disorder are absence of a pulse in both arms and in the carotid arteries, transient paraplegia, transient blindness, and atrophy of facial muscles. Also called brachiocephalic arteritis, Martorell’s syndrome, pulseless disease, reversed coarctation. See also aortic arch syndrome.
