[Two cases of coronary artery bypass grafting associated with antiphospholipid syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus].
We report two cases of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patient 1, 65-year-old female, who had been treated for SLE with prednisolone for 11 years was transferred to our hospital due to unstable angina caused by stenosis of the left main trunk (LMT) and the left anterior descending artery (LAD). She underwent emergency CABG of the LAD using left internal thoracic artery (LITA). Post operative doppler study demonstrated patent LITA to the LAD. Patient 2, 67-year-old female who had been treated for SLE with prednisolone for 8 years was transferred to our hospital due to acute myocardial infarction caused by stenosis of the LMT and the left circumflex artery (LCX). She underwent emergency CABG of the LAD and the LCX using saphenous vein grafts (SVGs). Post operative angiography confirmed a patent SVG to the LAD and an occuluded SVG to the LCX. In cases of SLE, the frequency of occurrences of ischemic heart diseases is high. Until now, however, there are few instances reported on performing CABG for patients with SLE. We are reporting here our particular cases of APS with SLE, discussing the involvement of APS as causative factor of ischemic heart diseases and related issue of surgical and post surgical antithrombotic treatments.