Coronary arterial narrowing in Takayasu's aortitis.

A patient with Takayasu's aortitis and angina pectoris due to severe narrowing of the right and left coronary arterial ostia is described. Takayasu's arteritis produces a panaortitis, with thickening of the adventitia predominating, and an inflammatory cell infiltrate involving the adventitia, outer media and vasa vasorum. Narrowing of the coronary arteries in this disease is due to extension into these arteries of the processes of proliferation of the intima and contraction of the fibrotic media and adventitia that occur in the aorta. The distal coronary arteries usually do not manifest arteritis and are normal in caliber. Angina pectoris may be the first symptom of the disease if the coronary arteries are the initial site of severe arterial narrowing. The coronary arterial bypass graft operation is effective therapy for treating coronary arterial narrowing due to Takayasu's arteritis.