Coronary Vasculitis

This infographic highlights the key features, symptoms, and systemic associations of coronary vasculitis, a condition involving inflammation of the coronary arteries. It categorizes different vasculitis types by vessel size and provides diagnostic cues for clinicians:

• Large Vessel Vasculitis
  • Takayasu Arteritis: Common in younger patients (<40 years), presenting with limb claudication, asymmetric pulses, and arterial bruits. Coronary involvement includes ostial or proximal segments with aneurysms or ectasia.
  • Giant Cell Arteritis: Typically affects patients over 50 years old, with symptoms like headache, jaw claudication, and vision disturbances. Coronary findings include proximal smooth narrowing and “string of pearls” patterns.
• Medium Vessel Vasculitis
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa: Associated with livedo reticularis, renal dysfunction, and aneurysms showing a beaded pattern in the coronary arteries.
  • Kawasaki Disease: Primarily affects children, causing conjunctivitis, cracked lips, and strawberry tongue. Coronary complications include aneurysms, sometimes with thrombosis or stenosis.
• Small Vessel Vasculitis
  • ANCA Vasculitis: Includes GPA, EGPA, and MPA, which present with symptoms like sinusitis, pulmonary nodules, and glomerulonephritis. Coronary involvement is generally non-specific.
• Variable Vessel Vasculitis
  • Behçet Disease: Features oral/genital ulcers, uveitis, and venous thrombosis, with coronary aneurysms being a less frequent finding.
  • IgG4-Related Disease: Presents with multi-organ involvement, such as lymphadenopathy, autoimmune pancreatitis, and peri-arteritis or coronary encasement.
  • SLE and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rarely present with coronary arteritis.

This infographic emphasizes the importance of considering coronary vasculitis when cardiac symptoms (e.g., angina, MI, arrhythmia) appear alongside systemic findings (e.g., asymmetric pulses, inflammatory markers). Early recognition and management are critical in preventing severe coronary complications.

Produced by: Dr. Richard Ferraro and Dr. Karan Desai

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