Spontaneous coronary artery dissection presenting as cardiac tamponade.
Spontaneous dissection of the left main coronary artery is the least common of all dissections involving the coronary arteries. It usually occurs in young women, especially in the peripartum or early postpartum period. We describe the case of a 59-year-old man with no previous history of atherosclerotic heart disease who presented in cardiac tamponade and was found to have a spontaneous left main stem coronary artery dissection at cardiac catheterization. Emergency revascularization was carried out with the patient remaining symptom-free 4 months after surgery.
Badmanaban
Balaji
B
Department of Cardiac Surgery, and Regional Medical Cardiology Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland. balaji@talk21.com
McCarty
David
D
Mole
Damian J
DJ
McKeown
Pascal P
PP
Sarsam
Mazin A I
MA
D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology*; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged