title: Survival after spontaneous coronary artery dissection presenting with ventricular fibrillation arrest.
abstract: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rarely documented etiology of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We present a case of a 37-year-old non-pregnant female who presented with a left anterior descending artery (LAD) dissection complicated by ventricular fibrillation arrest. After early diagnostic catheterization and medical management, our patient experienced a complete recovery, returning to her pre-SCD status without limitation. This case is unique in that the SCAD did not occur in the context of previously described associations. Also, this is only the second reported case of a patient with SCAD who survived documented SCD. Our case suggests that medical management is a reasonable option in patients with single-vessel non-left main/proximal LAD artery SCAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, United States Army, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergen
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huffer
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*