Acute coronary artery dissection during pregnancy

Evolving management and improving outcomes of pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD): a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD) is defined as SCAD occurring during pregnancy or within 3 months post-partum. Earlier systematic reviews have suggested a high maternal and foetal mortality rate. We undertook a structured systematic review of P-SCAD demographics, management and maternal and foetal outcomes.

METHODS

Case study identification was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, with screening of all published P-SCAD cases not meeting pre-defined exclusion criteria. Of two hundred and seventy-three publications screened, one hundred and thirty-eight cases met inclusion criteria. Cases were allocated to one of three time periods; 1960-85 (twenty cases) reflecting early management of P-SCAD, 1986-2005 (forty-two cases) reflecting recent management, and 2006-16 (seventy-six cases), reflecting contemporary management.

RESULTS

The only significant demographic change in women experiencing P-SCAD over the last 50 years was an increasing proportion of primigravidas (p = 0.02). Management and outcomes, however, have altered significantly. Emergent angiography (p < 0.0001), reduced thrombolysis (p = 0.006) and increasingly conservative or percutaneous management (p < 0.0001) are associated with dramatic reductions in maternal mortality (85% in earliest reports to 4% in the last decade, p < 0.0001) and foetal mortality (50% in earliest reports to 0.0% in the last decade, p = 0.023).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review of temporal changes in presentation, management and outcomes of P-SCAD represents the widest range of variables analysed in the largest cohort of P-SCAD patients to date. In the setting of earlier coronary angiography and increasingly conservative management, maternal and foetal survival rates continue to improve.

Pregnancy-related Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: Two Case Reports and a Comprehensive Review of Literature

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome, particularly seen in women during pregnancy or in the puerperium. It has a high acute phase mortality. The etiology is uncertain. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, hemodynamic stress and changes in the autoimmune status have been considered as possible etiological factors. A timely diagnosis and institution of appropriate treatment is important for a successful outcome. There is no consensus of opinion for optimal treatment. Conservative management, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and percutaneous coronary intervention, all have been described in the literature as possible therapeutic options. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection should be considered as a differential in any young woman presenting with chest pain associated with pregnancy. We report two cases of pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection, both successfully managed, along with a comprehensive review of the previously published literature.

Coronary artery dissection during pregnancy and the postpartum period: two case reports and review of literature

Spontaneous coronary dissection is a rare event occurring particularly in women during the peripartum and postpartum period. Two cases related to the early postpartum period with a successful outcome are described, together with a comprehensive review of all the previously published cases. Diagnostic and therapeutic considerations of this unique clinical entity are discussed and reviewed.