[Spontaneous coronary artery dissection as a rare cause of an acute coronary syndrome]

Abstract

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of an acute coronary syndrome. This report describes a previously healthy woman without cardiovascular risk factors who presented with an acute anterior non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography revealed an isolated longitudinal dissection in the middle part of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) with normal flow of the contrast media. The patient was treated conservatively with heparin, aspirin, clopidogrel, and beta-receptor blocker. Stress exercise test was normal at discharge. After an event-free follow-up of three and a half months coronary angiography showed a completely normal LAD. Literature about epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous coronary artery dissection is reviewed.