CardioNerds join Dr. Tony Li Yi Wei, Dr. Rodney Soh Yu Hang, and Dr. Zan Ng Zhe Yan from the National University Heart Centre Singapore for a cocktail drink on the top of marina bay sands. They discuss the following case featuring a young woman with recurrent ACS ultimately found to have Takayasu Arteritis. The ECPR for this episode is provided by Dr. Teng Gim Gee and Professor Tan Huay Cheem. Episode audio was edited by student Dr. Shivani Reddy.
A 37-year-old woman presents with chest pain. She has a background history of Hashimoto thyroiditis, gestational diabetes, and anemia of chronic disease and possible iron deficiency. Her significant medical history includes ischemic heart disease with prior coronary angiogram showing triple vessel coronary artery disease for which she underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) with LIMA-LAD, SVG-OM, SVG-RCA. After CABG, she had recurrent admissions in the subsequent year with acute coronary syndromes where she underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to SVG-OM, RI, proximal LAD, and distal LAD. She was a non-smoker and had been compliant with her medications. For her current presentation, she underwent myocardial perfusion imaging which showed a large sized area of inducible ischemia in the LCx territory. Repeat coronary evaluation showed occluded SVG-OM, occluded LIMA-LAD where she underwent PCI. Clinically, she was noted to have weak brachial and radial pulses on the left side with systolic blood pressure difference between both arms. CT Thoracic Angiogram demonstrated concern for underlying large vessel vasculitis such as Takayasu arteritis. ESR was elevated at 34. Rheumatology was consulted and she was diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis and started on prednisolone and azathioprine. Given her young age, absence of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, and progressive coronary disease, Takayasu arteritis was deemed the underlying etiology of her coronary disease.
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Case Media - Recurrent ACS
Pearls - Recurrent ACS
Approach to accelerated CAD and/or CAD in the young: Causes of MI in young patients can be divided into four groups, although a considerable overlap exists between all groups. (1) atheromatous CAD, (2) non-atheromatous process such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection, vasculitides such as Takayasu disease, (3) hypercoagulable states leading to recurrent arterial and venous thrombosis and/or thromboembolism, and (4) recreational drug use.
Clinical Presentation of Takayasu and prevalence of cardiac involvement: Takayasu’s arteritis is classified as a large-vessel vasculitis because it primarily affects the aorta and its primary branches. It has a worldwide distribution; however, the greatest prevalence is seen in Asia. Women are affected in 80 to 90 percent of cases, with an age of onset that is usually between 10 and 40 years.
Management of Takayasu arteritis: As for systemic anti-inflammatory therapy, the mainstay of treatment would be systemic glucocorticoids guided by the care of a rheumatologist. A steroid sparing agent may be given in conjunction for long term suppressive therapy to achieve longer-term disease control. The choice of additional agents depends on several factors including considerations regarding comorbidities, a patient's plans for conceiving a child, cost of treatments, and availability of specific agents. Options include methotrexate, azathioprine as well as mycophenolate. There are also growing studies into anti-TNF-alpha agents such as etanercept or infliximab.
Show Notes - Recurrent ACS
Cardionerds: A Cardiology Podcast