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What's wrong with this artery? A medical disease discovered by a surgeon
Vasvi Singh1, Saurav Luthra1, Ruth Kouides1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Unity Health System, Rochester, New York, USA.
Insights
This case study highlights rapidly progressive coronary stenosis in a patient initially diagnosed with atherosclerosis. Prompt diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis and immunosuppressive therapy prevented further ischemic events.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is often atherosclerotic.
- Vasculitis can affect coronary arteries, mimicking CAD.
- Cardiac sarcoidosis is a rare cause of cardiac dysfunction.
Abstract:
A 50-year-old man presenting with chest pain had positive stress echocardiography; and angiogram showed single artery coronary stenosis, presumed to be atherosclerotic. He was started on optimal medical therapy with good compliance. Four months later, he had a myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac catheterisation surprisingly showed interval development of severe three-vessel stenosis. He underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), during which the cardiothoracic surgeon noticed severely inflamed coronary arteries, concerning for vasculitis. Following CABG, the patient continued to have chest pain and was admitted again for MI within 4 months of surgery. Subsequent autoimmune workup was consistent with sarcoidosis. He was started on immunosuppressive therapy for presumed sarcoid-related coronary vasculitis, and 23 months later, the patient has not developed further ischaemic events. This is a rare case and extends the clinical spectrum of cardiac sarcoidosis, presenting with rapidly progressive coronary stenosis most likely due to vasculitis, mimicking atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
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