scholarly journals Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: challenges of coronary computed tomography angiography

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 609-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mackram F Eleid ◽  
Marysia S Tweet ◽  
Phillip M Young ◽  
Eric Williamson ◽  
Sharonne N Hayes ◽  
...  

Background: There is limited understanding of the role of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for assessment of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). Methods: In this report we describe the diagnostic utility of CCTA in three young women presenting with signs and symptoms of myocardial ischemia who were eventually diagnosed with SCAD. Results: None of the women had traditional atherosclerotic risk factors. SCAD was not initially identified on CCTA in any of the three women, but was visualized during retrospective analysis in two patients after invasive coronary angiography. In two patients follow-up CCTA imaging was used successfully for subsequent management. Conclusions: In patients presenting with signs or symptoms of acute coronary syndrome, SCAD may be missed or not detectable on CCTA. A negative CCTA should not exclude a diagnosis of SCAD, and invasive coronary angiography should be considered for further evaluation.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 333-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliana Capretti ◽  
Satoru Mitomo ◽  
Manuela Giglio ◽  
Antonio Colombo ◽  
Alaide Chieffo

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of acute coronary syndrome particularly among young women. Although coronary angiogram (CAG) is the gold standard exam for the diagnosis, SCAD may be missed by CAG alone. Our case series illustrates the adjunctive role of cardiac computed tomography angiography (cCTA) to CAG in ascertaining the diagnosis of SCAD. Three young women were admitted with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. CAG showed no significant coronary artery stenosis. In two patients, cCTA performed after CAG revealed an intramural hematoma compressing the coronary lumen. In one patient, SCAD was initially misdiagnosed as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and cCTA performed 1 month later allowed to make the correct diagnosis of SCAD assessing the spontaneous healing of the dissected vessel.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 467-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marysia S Tweet ◽  
Nila J Akhtar ◽  
Sharonne N Hayes ◽  
Patricia JM Best ◽  
Rajiv Gulati ◽  
...  

Background: The coronary computed tomography angiography features of acute spontaneous coronary artery dissection, an important cause of acute coronary syndrome in young women, have not been assessed. Methods: The “Virtual” Multicenter Mayo Clinic Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Registry was established in 2010 and includes retrospective and prospective patient data. Retrospective assessment of acute coronary computed tomography angiography images was performed for 14 patients (16 vessels) who had images performed within two days of invasive coronary angiography diagnosis of acute spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Results: Four pertinent diagnostic coronary features of acute spontaneous coronary artery dissection were observed in order of prevalence: 1) abrupt luminal stenosis (64%); 2) intramural hematoma (50%); 3) tapered luminal stenosis (36%); and 4) dissection (14%). Additional findings include epicardial fat stranding (42%), coronary tortuosity (29%), and coronary bridge (14%). Fifty percent of patients had myocardial hypoperfusion in the myocardial distribution of the dissected coronary artery. Conclusions: We define key coronary computed tomography angiography features of acute spontaneous coronary artery dissection, the most common of which are abrupt luminal stenosis and intramural hematoma. Importantly, intramural hematoma appears similar to noncalcified atherosclerotic plaque, emphasizing the importance of invasive coronary angiography for acute diagnosis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection until the sensitivity and specificity of coronary computed tomography angiography is better understood.


2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-316
Author(s):  
Biljana Putnikovic ◽  
Ivan Ilic ◽  
Milos Panic ◽  
Aleksandar Aleksic ◽  
Radosav Vidakovic ◽  
...  

Introduction. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of the acute coronary syndrome. It occurs mostly in patients without atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, carrying fairly high early mortality rate. The treatment of choice (interventional, surgical, or medical) for this serious condition is not well-defined. Case report. A 41-year old woman was admitted to our hospital after the initial, unsuccessful thrombolytic treatment for anterior myocardial infarction administered in a local hospital without cardiac catheterization laboratory. Immediate coronary angiography showed spontaneous coronary dissection of the left main and left anterior descending coronary artery. Follow-up coronary angiography performed 5 days after, showed extension of the dissection into the circumflex artery. Because of preserved coronary blood flow (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction - TIMI II-III), and the absence of angina and heart failure symptoms, the patient was treated medicaly with dual antiplatelet therapy, a low molecular weight heparin, a beta-blocker, an angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and a statin. The patient was discharged after 12 days. On follow-up visits after 6 months and 2 years, the patient was asymptomatic, and coronary angiography showed the persistence of dissection with preserved coronary blood flow. Conclusion. Immediate coronary angiography is necessary to assess the coronary anatomy and extent of SCAD. In patients free of angina or heart failure symptoms, with preserved coronary artery blood flow, medical therapy is a viable option. Further evidence is needed to clarify optimal treatment strategy for this rare cause of acute coronary syndrome.


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