Recurrent acute myocardial infarction with coronary artery aneurysm in a patient with Behçet's disease: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Behçet's disease is an inflammatory disorder of unknown origin, with mucocutaneous, ocular, articular, vascular, gastrointestinal and central nervous system manifestations. Although cardiac involvement is not an uncommon manifestation of Behçet's disease, coronary aneurysm has rarely been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old Iranian man was admitted to our emergency department for retrosternal pain of two and a half hours duration. His detailed medical history revealed that he had no risk factors for coronary artery disease, however, Behçet's disease had been diagnosed about 10 years earlier. His electrocardiogram showed inferior myocardial infarction. He underwent coronary angiography that showed multiple giant aneurysms in his coronary arteries. Two months later, he experienced another episode of unstable angina. This was followed by two episodes of anterior myocardial infarction 2 and 5 months afterwards. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of careful diagnostic work-up in the evaluation of myocardial infarction in patients. In our patient, Behçet's disease proved to be the cause of recurrent myocardial infarction.