Idiopathic panaortitis, supra-aortic arteritis, granulomatous myocarditis and pericarditis: A cause of pulseless disease and possibly left ventricular aneurysm in the African

Abstract

The pathologic findings in a fifteen year old Congolese boy, who had idiopathic thoracic aortitis, supra-aortic arteritis with “pulseless disease,” aneurysms of the right subclavian artery and aorta, and focal granulomatous myocarditis and pericarditis, are described. Previous reports have indicated that idiopathic aortitis is fairly frequent in African children, but that pulseless disease is unusual in that continent. The etiology of the arteritis and carditis, although unknown, is believed to be similar. The location and nature of the myocarditis in this patient suggests that it may be a precursor of an unusual type of left ventricular aneurysm (annular, subvalvular) which occurs in Africa.