[MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF CHILDHOOD POLYARTERITIS NODOSA – CASE REPORT]

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a systemic vasculitis histologically characterized by necrotic lesions of small and medium- sized arteries occurring mostly in their bifurcations. PAN is a multi-organ disorder that affects numerous visceral arteries and leads to inflammation and necrosis, which may result in ischemia of vital organs. The etiology of the disease is unknown. It occurs in four forms - cutaneous (most common), classic, systemic, and microscopic. PAN preferably affects the renal and coronary arteries. The most common findings in the affected blood vessels are aneurysm, thrombosis, and stenosis. Cardiac complications are rare in children, but 35% of patients develop a complication in adulthood. The most common complication in adulthood is cardiac decompensation, which can be explained as a consequence of longstanding hypertension and changes in coronary blood vessels. The incidence of myocardial infarction is low, particularly in young patients. This paper describes a 25-year-old patient with acute myocardial infarction accompanied by changes in the coronary blood vessels and persistent arterial hypertension as a result of PAN diagnosed in childhood.