Coronary Artery Disease and Moyamoya Disease


Pathological changes of the intracranial arteries in moyamoya disease are intimal thickening and elongation of the internal elastic lamina without arteriosclerotic changes. These changes are observed at the terminal portions of the intracranial internal carotid arteries. Beside these locations, it is reported that these vascular changes may occur in other locations. They include renal arteries, splenic arteries, coronary arteries, superficial temporal arteries, etc. It does not follow that these steno-occlusive changes in these arteries occur in all the patients with moyamoya disease. Limited number of the patients have such pathological changes.

When the stenosis occur in the renal arteries, renal hypertension can be caused by the renal artery stenosis even the patient is young. Similar arterial changes in the coronary arteries may cause angina pectoris or myocardial infarction.

We have reported a young woman with moyamoya disease who experienced angina pectoris and reviewed the relevant medical literature. There have been several reports on the angina pectoris and myocardial infarction in moyamoya patients. The mean age of these patients was younger than that of the general population.

It seems to be extremely rare for moyamoya patients to develop angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. However, such possibilities should be known by moyamoya patients and physicians who care them.


Atrial septal defect and moyamoya disease


Reference


1. Komiyama M, Nishikawa M, Yasui T, Otsuka M, Haze K: Moyamoya disease and coronary artery disease. Case report. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 41: 37-41, 2001 [abstract]