Cardiology Commons^™

Gender Differences And Predictors Of Mortality In Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: A Review Of Reported Cases, Ellen Thompson, Sueellen Ferraris, Todd Gress, Victor Ferraris

Ellen A. Thompson

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but potentially lethal event.1,2 It is a separation between the intimal and medial wall of the coronary vessel. The potential result of the dissection is obstruction of the vessel lumen and subsequent myocardial ischemia. Prior to the widespread use of coronary angiography, diagnosis was made at autopsy.2 From reported cases, some trends have been identified. There are reported associations with female sex,2,3 exercise,4–7pregnancy and postpartum state,8–12 coronary artery disease,2, 13, 14 and connective tissue disorders.9,15,16 The left anterior descending artery is more affected in women; the right coronary artery is more often …