Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection in Clinical Practice: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a cause of myocardial infarction without obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA). It is determined by a coronary artery wall layers separation, which occurs regardless of traumatic or iatrogenic injuries. Even if it is often a missed diagnosis, its incidence is growing along with the improvement of intracoronary imaging techniques that allow for better detection. The main angiographical classification distinguishes three different forms, with slightly different prognoses at long-term follow up. SCAD is a recurrent condition, severely hampering the life quality of affected patients. The predominantly young age of patients with SCAD and the high prevalence of females among them have made the topic increasingly important, especially regarding therapeutic strategies. According to the data, the most recommended treatment is conservative, based on the use of antiplatelet agents and supportive anti-ischemic therapy. However, there are conflicting opinions concerning the need for dual antiplatelet therapy and its duration. In the case of invasive treatment, the choice between percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass graft depends on the patient's clinical stability and the interested vessel. The purpose of the current review is to revise the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SCAD and the current knowledge of its treatment.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery].

Objective: To analyze the diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery (AAOCA). Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. From January 2016 to July 2023, 24 cases of high-risk AAOCA underwent surgical treatment in Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. There were 18 males and 6 females, operatively aged (M (IQR)) 13 (26) years (range: 0.3 to 57.0 years). They were confirmed by cardiac ultrasound and cardiac CT, all of which had anomalous coronary running between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. There were 15 cases of the right coronary artery from the left aortic sinus of Valsalva, 6 cases of left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva, 3 cases of the sigle coronary artery. Only 3 patients had no obvious related symptoms (2 cases were complicated with a positive exercise stress test and 1 case with other intracardiac malformations), 21 cases had a history of chest tightness, chest pain, or syncope after exercise. Three patients suffered syncope after exercise and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2 cases were treated with an extracorporeal membrane oxygenerator (ECMO)). The gap from the first symptom to the diagnosis was 4.0 (11.5) months (range: 0.2 to 84.0 months). The detection rate of coronary artery abnormalities suggested by the first cardiac ultrasound was only 37.5% (9/24). Seven patients were complicated with other cardiac diseases (4 cases with congenital heart defects, 2 cases with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, 1 case with mitral valve disease). Results: All 24 patients underwent surgical treatment (23 cases underwent abnormal coronary artery unroofing, 1 case underwent coronary artery bypass grafting), and 5 patients underwent other intracardiac malformation correction at the same time. There were no death or surgery related complications in the hospital for 30 days after the operation. A patient with preoperative extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was continuously assisted by ECMO after emergency AAOCA correction and had complications such as limb ischemia necrosis and renal dysfunction after the operation. During the follow-up of 2.2 (3.3) years (range: 1 month to 7.2 years), one patient who previously underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with a stent implant experienced significant postoperative symptomatic relief, and the other discharged patients had no related symptoms. Conclusions: The accurate rate of initial diagnosis for high-risk AAOCA is still low, but the risk of cardiovascular accidents is high. For sports-related chest pain and other symptoms, more attention should be paid to the detection of AAOCA, especially for adolescents. Exercise stress testing can be helpful in evaluating the cardiovascular risk of asymptomatic AAOCA. Instant surgical treatment can achieve satisfactory curative effects.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection and myopericarditis.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is a significant cause of acute coronary syndrome. SCAD frequently affects young women, often without cardiovascular risk factors. Coronary angiography is the diagnostic mode of choice. Based on clinical context, treatment is divided into conservative methods and revascularization with either percutaneous coronary intervention or bypass grafting. This case report describes a 26-year-old female with a preceding diagnosis of myopericarditis who presented to the ED with inferior STEMI and was subsequently diagnosed with a spontaneous right coronary artery dissection.

The Patient Experience After Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection.

OBJECTIVE: There is considerable burden of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), yet research is limited on the experience and impact of SCAD from the patient perspective. This literature review sought to describe the current state of the literature on the patient experience of SCAD and consequences for patients following a SCAD event from the patient perspective. To better understand how people's experiences of SCAD affect their wellbeing, quality of life, lifestyles, and identity, and what would be useful from the patient perspective, an integrative review was performed. METHODS: An integrative literature review was conducted to understand the experience of SCAD and the post-event implications. Five databases were searched. Search terms included 'spontaneous coronary artery dissection', 'SCAD', 'patient', 'experience', 'perspective', and 'opinion'. English-language, peer-reviewed primary research in people with a diagnosis of SCAD that reflected the patient experience was included. Data indicating the SCAD experience including distress prevalence were extracted into an Excel spreadsheet, and narrative synthesis of included studies followed. FINDINGS: From 325 identified studies, five were included for review, yielding a combined sample of 447 participants. Patients with SCAD reported a lack of information about SCAD and the recovery process, and use of the internet for obtaining information. Patients with SCAD reported challenges in recovery including anxiety associated with fear of recurrence and uncertainty, and a need for greater support. A wide range of negative emotions was reported during and after the SCAD event. Participants reported participating in support groups, with mixed reviews of their appropriateness and effectiveness.

Management of Adults With Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Coronary Arteries: State-of-the-Art Review.

As a result of increasing adoption of imaging screening, the number of adult patients with a diagnosis of anomalous aortic origin of the coronary arteries (AAOCA) has grown in recent years. Existing guidelines provide a framework for management and treatment, but patients with AAOCA present with a wide range of anomalies and symptoms that make general recommendations of limited applicability. In particular, a large spectrum of interventions can be used for treatment, and there is no consensus on the optimal approach to be used. In this paper, a multidisciplinary group of clinical and interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons performed a systematic review and critical evaluation of the available evidence on the interventional treatment of AAOCA in adult patients. Using a structured Delphi process, the group agreed on expert recommendations that are intended to complement existing clinical practice guidelines.

Percutaneous device closure of hemodynamically significant coronary fistula following endomyocardial biopsy in a pediatric heart transplant patient.

Coronary artery fistula is a rare but well-documented complication of right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, particularly in the adult population. Typically, these fistulae never reach clinical or hemodynamic significance, but some may cause coronary steal and ventricular dysfunction. We report a case of a significant coronary artery fistula requiring device closure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory with subsequent improvement of clinical symptoms and cardiac function.

Congenital coronary artery anomalies in sports medicine. Why to know them.

The anomalous origin of a coronary artery (AOCA) is a challenging topic, due to its rarity, the complexity of the pathophysiological aspects, the clinical presentation (often silent), the difficulty of diagnosis, and the potential risk of causing acute cardiovascular events up to sudden cardiac death, particularly when triggered by heavy physical exercise or sport practice. Increasing interest in sport medical literature is being given to this topic. This paper reviews current knowledge of AOCAs in the specific context of the athletic setting addressing epidemiological and pathophysiological aspects, diagnostic work-up, sports participation, individual risk assessment, therapeutic options, and return to play decision after surgery.

Coronary Artery Anomalies - State of the Art Review.

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) comprise a wide spectrum of anatomic entities, with diverse clinical phenotypes. We present a case of an anomalous right coronary artery arising from the left aortic sinus with an interarterial course, a potentially fatal condition that can precipitate ischemia and sudden cardiac death. CAAs are increasingly detected in adults, mostly as incidental findings in the course of cardiac evaluation. This is due to the expanding use of invasive and noninvasive cardiac imaging, usually in the work-up for possible CAD. The prognostic implications of CAAs in this group of patients remain unclear. In AAOCA patients, appropriate work-up with anatomical and functional imaging should be performed for risk stratification. An individualized approach to management should be adopted, considering symptoms, age, sporting activities and the presence of high-risk anatomical features and physiologic consequences (such as ischemia, myocardial fibrosis, or cardiac arrhythmias) detected on multimodality imaging or other functional cardiac investigations. This comprehensive and up to date review seeks to crystallize current data in the recent literature, and proposes a clinical management algorithm for the clinician faced with the conundrum of managing such conditions.

Coronary Ostial Acquired Occlusion or Congenital Atresia: An Ongoing Discussion.

Coronary ostial atresia is a developmental abnormality that typically causes asymptomatic anomalies in the coronary blood supply. This case report, which presents 2 symptomatic patients with right coronary artery abnormalities, explores difficulties in diagnosing coronary ostial atresia and distinguishing it from single coronary artery and coronary artery disease-related acquired occlusion. Factors underlying management decisions are also discussed.

A rare disease detected in a school-age child aortopulmonary window with anomalous right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Aortopulmonary window is a condition characterized by a communication between the pulmonary artery and the ascending aorta. The coexistence of aortopulmonary window and an anomalous right coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery is rarely observed together, as mentioned in previous studies. In this report, we aim to describe our diagnostic and treatment experiences with a 6-year-old patient diagnosed with aortopulmonary window associated with an abnormal origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Derivation and Validation of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Prediction Score in Patients With Myocardial Infarction.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI); however, the prevalence of SCAD and its predictors in AMI are unknown. We sought to derive and validate a simple score that can help predict SCAD in patients with AMI. We analyzed the Nationwide Readmissions Database and created a risk score for SCAD in patients with an index hospitalization for AMI. We used a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the independent predictors of SCAD, and each was assigned points proportional to its regression coefficient. Among 1,155,164 patients with AMI, 8,630 (0.75%) had SCAD. Based on the derivation cohort, the independent predictors of SCAD were fibromuscular dysplasia (odds ratio [OR] 67.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 42.0 to 107.9, p <0.01), Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.7 to 12.5, p <0.01), polycystic ovarian syndrome (OR 5.4, 95% CI 3.0 to 9.8, p <0.01), female gender (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.9 to 2.1, p <0.01), and aortic aneurysm (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.7, p <0.01). The SCAD risk score included fibromuscular dysplasia (5 points), Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (2 points), polycystic ovarian syndrome (2 points), female gender (1 point), and aortic aneurysm (1 point). The C-statistics of the score were 0.58 (derivation cohort) and 0.61 (validation cohort). In conclusion, the SCAD score is an easy bedside clinical tool that can help clinicians identify patients with AMI who are at risk for SCAD.

Narrative Review of Anomalous Origin of Coronary Arteries: Pathophysiology, Management, and Treatment.

Coronary artery anomalies (CAA) are a diverse group of congenital anomalies and are the second most common cause of sudden cardiac death in the young population after Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Symptoms range from chest pain, syncope, or sudden cardiac arrest to completely asymptomatic. The prevalence of congenital coronary artery anomalies in the general population is estimated to be between 1% and 2%. CAA often gets underdiagnosed due to the lack of knowledge of the disease process. Approximately 5% of patients with acute myocardial infarction do not have atherosclerotic coronary artery disease or luminal narrowing due to other causes. Congenital coronary artery anomalies account for 50-60% of this 5% of patients. Most patients are asymptomatic for most of their lives, and chest pain is the most common symptom in symptomatic patients when referred for coronary angiography, typically when the diagnosis is typically made. The malignant coronary artery is a rare presentation of a coronary anomaly when associated with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease or valvular heart disease. Patients with symptoms of an abnormal coronary artery origin will receive medical treatment/observation, exercise restriction, coronary angioplasty with stent deployment, or surgical repair.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection in women with acute myocardial infarction: is there a new role for autoimmunity?

AIMS: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon cause of acute myocardial infarction in women and has an unclear pathophysiology. Autoantibodies (AAs) targeting angiotensin-II receptor type 1 (AT1R) and endothelin-1 receptor type A (ETAR) have known detrimental effects on endothelial function. We investigated the prevalence of these AAs in SCAD-affected female patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Female patients diagnosed at coronary angiography with myocardial infarction and SCAD were consecutively enrolled. Autoantibodies targeting angiotensin-II receptor type 1 and ETAR-AA titres and seropositivity prevalence were compared between SCAD patients, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, and healthy women. Ten women with SCAD and 20 age-matched controls (10 women with STEMI and 10 healthy women) were included. Six out of 10 (60%) women with myocardial infarction and SCAD were seropositive for AT1R-AAs and ETAR-AAs. In contrast, only one (10%) healthy woman and one (10%) STEMI patient were seropositive for AT1R-AAs (P = 0.03 and P = 0.03, respectively). One STEMI patient was seropositive for ETAR-AAs, while none of the healthy women was found to be seropositive (P = 0.03 and P = 0.01, respectively). The median AA titre was significantly higher in SCAD patients than in healthy women (P = 0.01 for AT1R-AAs; P = 0.02 for ETAR-AAs) and STEMI patients (P < 0.001 for AT1R-AAs; P = 0.002 for ETAR-AAs). CONCLUSION: Autoantibodies targeting angiotensin-II receptor type 1 and ETAR-AA seropositivity is significantly higher in SCAD women with myocardial infarction than in healthy women or female patients with STEMI. Our findings, corroborated by previous data in the literature and biological plausibility, suggest a possible role for AT1R-AAs and ETAR-AAs in the pathophysiology of SCAD in women with acute myocardial infarction and should warrant further studies with larger sample sizes.

Fibromuscular dysplasia of the brachial artery in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a case series and literature review.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is diagnosed in a very small percentage of patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes who undergo emergency coronary angiography. Although fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is known to coexist in patients with SCAD, the vascular sites of FMD and their frequency have not yet been clarified. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 16 patients who were diagnosed with and treated for SCAD at our hospital between 1 January 2011 and 31 January 2023. We have summarized their baseline and clinical characteristics and medical variables, including coronary and upper extremity angiography and in-hospital outcomes. One of our patients had concurrent cardiac tamponade requiring pericardial drainage, and another went into hemorrhage shock the following day from dissection of the gastric retroperitoneal artery. Characteristic angiographic features of partial or diffuse nonatherosclerotic stenosis were observed mainly in the distal parts of the coronary arteries or their branches. Notably, in six patients with SCAD who underwent upper extremity angiography, FMD of the brachial artery was revealed. For the first time, to our knowledge, we found a high prevalence of multifocal FMD of the brachial artery in patients with SCAD.

Surgical repair of the anomalous aortic origin of the coronary arteries: a single-center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. The aim of this study was to present our experience with patients who underwent surgery for the anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of our experience with patients who had anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery from 2019 to 2022. RESULTS: Seven patients were managed for anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery, including five males and two females. The median age of the patients were 16 years (IQR, 14.5-26 years). Five patients had anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery and two patients had anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery. Five patients were treated surgically, one patient refused surgical treatment despite myocardial ischaemia symptoms, and the other one was not operated because she had no symptoms. Two patients underwent pulmonary root anterior translocation and left main coronary artery unroofing procedure, one patient underwent right coronary artery unroofing procedure, one patient underwent pulmonary artery lateral translocation procedure, and the last patient underwent right coronary artery osteal translocation procedure. The post-operative mortality or myocardial infarction was not observed in any patient. Patients were followed for a median of 10 months (IQR, 6.75-20.5 months) after repair. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that surgical repair of anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery can be performed confidently and can be very effective for relieving myocardial ischaemia symptoms. Different surgical techniques can be used in anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery according to the course and origin of the coronary arteries. To the our knowledge, pulmonary root anterior translocation and coronary artery unroofing procedure were performed for the first time in the literature.