title: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection associated with oral contraceptive use: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) represents a rare cause of acute coronary syndromes with complex pathohysiology. We briefly describe a 50-year-old woman, without traditional cardiovascular risk factors, hospitalized for an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction and treated with thrombolytic therapy. Notably, the patient was on oral contraceptives for the past 10 years. Coronary angiography showed a dissection of the distal left anterior descending artery. She was treated conservatively and her clinical status improved without evidence of continuing ischemia, while a repeated catheterization 6 months later showed a complete resolution of the dissection. It has been speculated that the female hormones may be responsible for the increased incidence of SCAD among women particularly during the peripartum period or during the exogenous administration of such agents. A systematic review of the literature revealed 4 further cases reporting an association of SCAD with oral contraceptive use.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Evangelou
authors.forename: Konstantinos P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Letsas
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korantzopoulos
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antonellis
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sioras
authors.forename: Fotis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kardaras
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral