Regression of the Left Main Trunk Lesion by Steroid Administration in a Case of Takayasu's Aortitis

Kanji Iga MD, Iwao Gohma MD, Kenjiro Hori MD

Abstract

A 62 year-old man with unstable angina due to severe narrowing of the left main trunk (LMT) was examined. Emergency bypass surgery was performed with an internal mammarian artery (IMA) graft instead of a saphenous vein graft because of the thickened, edematous ascending aorta. Post-operative coronary angiography showed the lesion of the LMT becoming markedly regressed. Presumably, this stenotic lesion of the LMT was caused by active aortitis and was partially reversible by steroid administration both during surgery and postoperatively. Steroid therapy can be added to the list of treatments for cases of the LMT disease associated with Takayasu's aortitis, if signs of active inflammation are present.