ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION SECONDARY TO WEGENERS GRANULOMATOSIS

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a necrotizing and granulomatous vascu litis that usually affects the upper and lower respiratory tract and t he kidneys. Cardiac involvement is rare although pericarditis, coronar y arteritis, myocarditis, valvulitis and arrhytmias have been describe d. Acute myocardial infarction with clinical expression is an exceptio nal complication of Wegener's granulomatosis. We report a case of a 30 -year-old man with Wegener's granulomatosis who suffered an acute myoc ardial infarction during the initial phase of the disease, following s even days of treatment with glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. Tran sthoracic echocardiography showed abnormal regional wall motion with s eptal hypokinesia and apical akinesia. Cardiac catheterization reveale d an ect;asic segment in the proximal left anterior descending coronar y artery and total occlusion in the mid-segment. medical therapy with prednisone and cyclophosphamide was continued. No complications and in itial remission were achieved.