Spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a thirty two year old woman. A case report and a review of the literature

A case of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, an extremely rare condition, is reported in a thirty two year old woman. The pathological and clinical features as well as the management of this condition are discussed. Recent postulates with regard to aetiology and pathogenesis are emphasized. (AU)

Aortic dissection: an autopsy experience

Aortic dissection was confirmed in 33 patients at autopsy at the University Hospital of the West Indies between 1975 and 1988. Twenty-five cases were acute and 8 chronic and the diagnosis was made antemortem in 5 cases overall. The high risk of rupture of proximal dissections involving the ascending aorta into the pericardial sac is clear, and the overriding importance of systemic hypertension is once again confirmed. An unusual finding was the higher proportion of females to males. A higher index of suspicion should permit and antemortem diagnosis and apropriate therapy in a larger proportion of patients (AU)

Spinal stroke as a presentation of dissecting aneurysm of the aorta

A case of ischaemic spinal cord injury in a 70-year old patient is presented. Autopsy showed a DeBakey type 1 dissecting aneurysm of the thoraco-abdominal aorta with involvement of the intercostal and lumbar arteries on the left side. The zone of spinal cord infarction was extensive. The vascular anatomy of the spinal cord is reviewed, and its vulnerability to ischaemia is emphazied (AU)

The clinical and pathological features of dissecting aneurysms of the aorta in Jamaica

The pathological and clinical features of 32 autopsied cases of dissecting aneurysms from the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica are reviewed and compared with findings from other countries. Attention is drawn to the diagnostic problems this condition presents and the potential value of improved accuracy of diagnosis in making effective treatment a practical possibility (AU)