Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: Rare cardial diagnosis

A 55-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital with acute chest pain as a case of emergency suffered from an acute anteroseptal myocardial infarctio n. Four weeks later coronary angiography revealed a long dissection of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) as well as a significant stenosis of the left main and the proximal circumflex. Cardiovascular surgery was done subsequently. In addition to myo- cardial revascularization using coronary artery bypass grafts a rendaptation of the dissecting artery walls and a pr oximal ligation of the LAD before anastomosis were performed. Clinical data , pathogenesis, and indications for medical and surgical treatment of spont aneous artery dissection are presented.