Spontaneous Left Main Coronary Artery Dissection in a Male

Lakshay Chopra1, Joseph Maenza1, Chih-Chiun Chang1

  • 1Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.

Cureus
|June 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) can affect men, presenting as acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Early diagnosis via coronary angiography is vital for appropriate management, even without typical risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine

Background:

  • Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an underrecognized cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), typically affecting younger women.
  • This case report details a rare instance of SCAD in a 46-year-old male involving the left main coronary artery.

Observation:

  • The patient presented with high-risk ACS, necessitating emergency coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the left main artery.
  • Intramural hematoma extension post-PCI confirmed SCAD, despite the patient being male and lacking typical risk factors.

Findings:

  • Coronary angiography is the gold standard for SCAD diagnosis, often complemented by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).
  • While systemic connective tissue disease was suspected, genetic analysis revealed no reportable variants.
  • This case underscores SCAD as a potential cause of ACS in men.

Implications:

  • Recognizing SCAD in men is crucial for timely and accurate diagnosis and management, which differs from other ACS etiologies.
  • Coronary angiography findings are key to diagnosing SCAD, guiding appropriate treatment strategies.