Unprotected left main stent placement in a patient with Takayasu's arteritis: an unusual solution for an unusual disease

We describe the case of a young woman with Takayasu's arteritis that initially manifested as heart failure due to left main coronary artery stenosis. The patient's occluded subclavian artery and the active inflammatory process of Takayasu's arteritis precluded coronary artery bypass grafting with the use of arterial grafts. Therefore, a drug-eluting stent was placed in the unprotected left main artery. This procedure resulted in the resolution of symptoms, with a patent stent and no new coronary lesions observed on 3-month angiography, and normal left ventricular function on 9-month echocardiography. We conclude that the use of drug-eluting stents may be an important treatment option for Takayasu's arteritis patients with life-threatening coronary artery disease for whom coronary artery bypass grafting is not an option.