Project description:Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an underdiagnosed cause of acute coronary syndrome, often occurring in younger females. Such a diagnosis should always be considered in this demographic. In this case report, we focus on the importance of optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis and management of this condition in the elective setting.
Project description:AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of heparinised saline as flushing media for frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) image acquisition during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) optimisation.Methods and resultsTwenty-seven patients undergoing FD-OCT-guided PCI were enrolled. Heparinised saline was injected into the coronary during FD-OCT image acquisition. A total of 118 runs were analysed for image quality and diagnostic value. FD-OCT runs were categorised as follows: good runs (GRs), clinically usable runs (CURs) and clinically not usable runs (NURs); GRs and CURs were combined as clinically effective runs (ERs). Saline FD-OCT enabled visualisation of all possible coronary lesions. Of the 118 runs analysed, 61%, 27.1%, 11.9% and 88.1% were GRs, CURs, NURs and ERs, respectively. Sixty-one percent of total runs were left coronary system (LCS) and 39% were right coronary system (RCS) runs. Among LCS runs, 55.6%, 30.6%, 13.8% and 86.2% were GRs, CURs, NURs and ERs, respectively. Among RCS runs, 69.6%, 21.7%, 8.7% and 91.3% were GRs, CURs, NURs and ERs, respectively.ConclusionThis is the first study to demonstrate the technical feasibility of isolated saline FD-OCT for PCI optimisation.
Project description:Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a cause of myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries. We describe a case of SCAD in a 39-year-old postpartum woman who presented with acute anterior myocardial infarction, no coronary occlusion but a suspicious coronary angiography. A coronary computed tomography angiogram demonstrated a left anterior descending intramural hematoma confirming the diagnosis. Teaching points emerging from this case are that SCAD and other causes of myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries should be investigated, especially because the outcome is not benign. Also, coronary computed tomography angiogram should be considered as a part of the workup and follow-up for SCAD.
Project description:BackgroundCoronary artery calcification (CAC), a surrogate of atherosclerosis, is related to stent underexpansion and adverse cardiac events. However, the effect of CAC on plaque stability is still controversial and the morphological significance of CAC has yet to be elucidated.MethodsA retrospective series of 419 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) were enrolled. Patients were classified into three groups based on the calcification size in culprit plaques and the features of the culprit and non-culprit plaques among these groups were compared. Logistic regression was used to analyze independent risk factors for culprit plaque rupture and the nonlinear relationship between calcification parameters and culprit plaque rupture. Furthermore, we compared the detailed calcification parameters of different kinds of plaques.ResultsA total of 419 culprit plaques and 364 non-culprit plaques were identified. The incidence of calcification was 53.9 % in culprit plaques and 50.3 % in non-culprit plaques. Compared with culprit plaques without calcification, plaque rupture, macrophages and cholesterol crystals were more frequently observed in the spotty calcification group, and the lipid length was longer; the incidence of macrophages and cholesterol crystals was higher in the macrocalcification group. Calcification tended to be smaller in ruptured plaques than in non-ruptured plaques. Moreover, the arc and length of calcification were greater in culprit plaques than in non-culprit plaques.ConclusionsVulnerable features were more frequently observed in culprit plaques with spotty calcification, whereas the presence of macrocalcification calcifications did not significantly increase plaque vulnerability. Calcification tends to be larger in culprit plaques than in non-culprit plaques.
Project description:Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is one of the rare causes of acute coronary syndrome in young healthy individuals especially women without having any conventional risk factors for coronary artery disease. We describe a case of 34-year-old healthy man with diffuse multiple SCADs who presented with acute coronary syndrome and was managed conservatively with an uneventful course on long-term follow-up.
Project description:Increased homocysteine has been related to the occurrence of dissections in the coronary circulation, aorta, and cervical arteries. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a relatively rare phenomenon, and data on the long-term follow-up of patients with SCAD are extremely limited. Herein, we describe a case of a young male patient with 3-vessel SCAD (presence of radiolucent linear defects indicating the presence of dissections in all three major coronary arteries) who was found to have hyperhomocysteinemia and a concurrent methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase prothrombotic mutation. Despite the presence of multi-vessel SCAD, the patient had clinically stable coronary artery disease for a long period. <Learning objective: Three-vessel spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an extremely rare phenomenon. Familiarity with the angiographic characteristics of multi-vessel SCAD as shown here is important for diagnosis. Hyperhomocysteinemia and a concurrent methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase prothrombotic mutation is one of the genetic diseases causally related with premature coronary artery disease and SCAD. Patients with angiographic evidence of SCAD may remain clinically stable for a long time.>.
Project description:A 53-year-old woman underwent a cardiac catheterization for evaluation of acute coronary syndrome. The coronary angiogram revealed evidence of spontaneous coronary artery dissection in multiple coronary arteries including the left anterior descending artery, posterior descending artery, and posterior left ventricular artery. Further diagnostic imaging revealed associated bilateral vertebral artery and renal artery fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). Follow-up coronary angiogram 6 weeks later revealed a "string of beads" appearance of the posterior descending artery. This case highlights the importance of extra-coronary imaging for FMD and demonstrates angiogram findings suggestive of coronary FMD.
Project description:BackgroundSpontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome that is often misdiagnosed.Case summaryWe describe a case of multi-vessel SCAD in a 73-year-old patient with no evidence of fibromuscular dysplasia that is presented with Type A aortic dissection after undergoing an ascending aorta and aortic arch replacement with stent placement in the abdominal aorta. The use of percutaneous coronary intervention with cutting balloons and drug-eluting stent implantation helped wean the patient off extracorporeal membrane oxygenation successfully.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first reported case of multi-vessel SCAD presenting concomitantly with aortic dissection. More research is needed to help understand the pathophysiology of the two conditions as well as possible links between them.