Inflammatory aortitis with coronary arterial involvement by multidetector cardiac computed tomography

A 40-year-old man with a history of hypertension was admitted for a non–ST-segment myocardial infarction. A multidetector coronary computed tomography (MDCCT) showed proximal aortic intramural thickening with extrinsic thickening and luminal compression of the proximal left circumflex coronary artery. Subsequent surgical evaluation and positron emission tomography imaging showed evidence of active inflammation of the proximal aorta and coronary arteries. Hence, this case illustrates an uncommon cause of myocardial ischemia and the emerging complimentary role that MDCCT can play in such patients.