Isolated Left Main Ostial Coronary Stenosis in a Young Woman

Coronary arteritis is a rare but potentially fatal condition either by itself or in conjunction with other diseases in all age groups. Coronary arteritis is most closely associated with the polyarteritis syndromes and other collagen vascular diseases, immune system dysfunction, Mediterranean fever, Kawasaki disease, fibrous pericarditis and staphylococcal septicemia. Isolated left main coronary arteritis may be associated with specific and non-specific aortoarteritis or in some cases after mediastinal irradiation. In this young woman, with regard to her age of 22 years old, sex, absence of familial and personal risk factors, and elevated CRP and ESR and the report of severe left main stem inflammation at open heart surgery and negative response to intracoronary injection of nitrate during angiography, the diagnosis of isolated left main stem coronary arteritis is very high in probability (Iranian Heart Journal 2007; 8 (3): 56-59).