A Case of Takayasu's Disease Occurred Over Two Hundred Years Ago

Abstract

The author refers to a case described in 1761 by G.B. Morgagni, in which there were all the clinico-pathological features of aspecific aorto-arteritis, as it was pointed out in this century by some Japanese authors. Morgagni's case was a woman 40 years old, whose radial pulses were never perceived for many years before her death; the necroscopic examination showed severe aortic alterations, characterized by ectasias, aneurysms and stenosis, with subclavian obstruction at the origin. The radial arteries, on the contrary, were found unaffected. This case, as well as another reported by Savory in 1856, demonstrates that an obstructive disease of the aorta and its branches had been already noted and described long before in the European Countries in spite of the rarity of this sickness.

Takayasu arteritis: clinical features and management: report of 272 cases

“…Although traditionally considered to be an Oriental disease, the earliest recorded description of aortic arteritis is probably that of Morgagni 11 . Subsequent cases from Britain were described by Savory 12 and Broadbent 13 .…”

Ocular Manifestations of Takayasu Arteritis

“…1 The earliest description of this disease is probably that of a 40-year-old woman suffering from a pulseless disease, reported by Giovanni Battista Morgagni in 1761. 2 Mikito Takayasu, a Japanese ophthalmologist, described a peculiar wreathlike appearance of the retinal blood vessels associated with absent radial pulses in 1908 in a 21-year-old woman. 3 Subsequently, Onishi found similar findings in association with cool, pulseless upper extremities.…”

Comprehensive Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

“…Although traditionally considered to be an Oriental disease, the earliest recorded description of aortic arteritis is probably that of Morgagni. 11 Subsequent cases from Britain were described by Savory 12 and Broadbent. 13 Takayasu presented a patient with unusual fundoscopic findings to the Japanese Ophthalmologic Society in 1908 14 but it was Onishi who in the subsequent discussion described a more typical case associated with absent pulses.…”