Coronary artery bypass grafting in Takayasus disease - importance of the proximal anastomosis: a case report

Abstract

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is an idiopathic vasculitis which mainly affects the aorta and proximal parts of its major branches. TA mostly occurs in women in their second or third decade and has a worldwide distribution, although the disease seems to have a higher incidence in Southeast Asia, South Africa and Latin America [1]. In 10 to 30 % of cases of TA there is coronary involvement, with the left coronary ostia most frequently affected, sometimes requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) [2, 3]. Surgical treatment of coronary involvement in TA is challenging due to the necessity to manipulate fragile and inflamed aortic tissue [4].