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Published on: September 1, 2015
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a woman with polycystic kidney disease
Charles T Itty1, Ahmad Farshid, Girish Talaulikar
1Department of Cardiology, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, ACT, Australia.
Insights
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients rarely experience spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). This case highlights successful percutaneous coronary intervention for SCAD in an ADPKD patient, emphasizing early recognition.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Genetics
Background:
- Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is associated with vascular abnormalities, including arterial dilatation and dissection.
- Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but serious vascular complication.
Observation:
- A patient with ADPKD presented with acute myocardial infarction due to SCAD.
- Coronary angiography revealed a long spiral dissection of the left anterior descending artery.
Findings:
- The patient successfully underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents.
- This represents the first reported case of percutaneous coronary intervention for SCAD in an ADPKD patient.
Implications:
- Altered polycystin expression in vascular smooth muscle cells may underlie vascular complications in ADPKD.
- Considering SCAD in the differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in ADPKD patients is crucial for timely management.
Abstract:
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), characterized by renal cyst formation, is known to cause such vascular abnormalities as arterial dilatation and dissection. However, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is observed only rarely in patients with ADPKD. We report a patient with ADPKD who developed SCAD and presented with acute myocardial infarction. Her coronary angiography showed a long spiral dissection of the left anterior descending coronary artery. She underwent successful coronary angioplasty with insertion of 3 drug-eluting stents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary dissection in a patient with ADPKD. The pathophysiological characteristics of vascular complications in patients with ADPKD are discussed. Polycystins are strongly expressed in human adult vascular smooth muscle cells, and the vascular abnormalities in patients with ADPKD may be related to altered expression of polycystins. Because early recoginition and prompt efforts at mechanical reperfusion, if indicated, are crucial for successful management of SCAD, it would be worthwhile to consider SCAD in the differential diagnoses of acute coronary syndrome in patients with ADPKD.
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