MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF CHILDHOOD POLYARTERITIS NODOSA – CASE REPORT
Authors:
Viktorija Ana Buljević, Matias Trbušić, Diana Delić-Brkljačić, Ivan Malčić
Summary
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 aff ects numerous visceral arteries and leads to infl ammation and necrosis, which may result in ischemia of vital organs. Th e etiology of the disease is unknown. It occurs in four forms – cutaneous (most common), classic, systemic, and microscopic. PAN preferably aff ects the renal and coronary arteries. Th e most common fi ndings in the aff ected 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. Th e incidence of myocardial infarction is low, particularly in young patients. Th is 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.
Sažetak
Vol.: Reumatizam 2016;63(2):15–20