Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a systemic large vessel vasculitis
which predominantly affects young females of the childbearing age group. Amongst the various clinical features of
TA, renovascular hypertension is one of the most important
clinical features and a significant cause of morbidity and
mortality. Moreover, if we look at the pattern of arterial
involvement, abdominal aorta and renal artery involvement
in TA are much more common in Indian patients than in their
Western counterparts1
. Thus, the management of hypertension
becomes a much more significant challenge in Indian patients
of TA. As TA is more common in young women, the management of pregnancy in patients with TA is of great importance
in clinical practice. Like non-pregnant patients, the management of hypertension becomes a significant challenge in TA
patients with pregnancies. The challenge in managing hypertension in pregnancy lies in the fact that pregnancy is known
to increase intravascular volume, thus exacerbating preexisting hypertension. Besides, it is not uncommon for the
patients of TA to present with hypertension for the first time
in pregnancy.