Prevalence of Takayasu arteritis in young women with acute ischemic heart disease.

OBJECTIVES: Takayasu arteritis (TA), a systemic vasculitis typically occurring in female patients aged ≤40, can affect coronary arteries and cause ischemic heart disease (IHD). In this study, we investigated the prevalence of TA in young women presenting with IHD in the Emergency Department.

METHODS: We evaluated hospital records of 158,860 consecutive female patients aged <40, who accessed the Emergency Department of our institution over 8 consecutive years (2007-2015). The prevalence of different etiologies of IHD was determined. Diagnosis of TA was established based on the 1990 ACR criteria.

RESULTS: Overall, 1950 women aged <40 presented to the Emergency Department with chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, angina, heart failure, or cardiac arrest; 40 had acute IHD. The etiology was 'classic' atherosclerosis in 24 cases (60%), TA in 4 cases (10%), vasospasm and sympathomimetic drug abuse in 3 cases each (7.5%), coronary artery dissection and microvascular angina in 2 cases each (5%), Takotsubo and radiation-induced cardiomyopathy in 1 case each (2.5%).

DISCUSSION: Although a diagnosis of TA is likely to be overlooked, TA is not infrequent in younger females presenting with acute IHD, a finding relevant to the diagnosis and management of these patients.