Spontaneous Coronary Dissection with Dissection of Ascending Aorta and Cardiac Tamponade

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is a rare but potentially lethal event. The cause of spontaneous coronary dissection is poorly understood. There are reported associations with female sex, exercise, pregnancy and postpartum state, coronary artery disease, connective tissue disorders and hemorrhage into the vasovasorum and periadventitial inflammation [1-7]. Most cases have no identifiable risk factor [1,7]. In patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome and cardiac tamponade, acute Spontaneous Coronary Artery Rupture (SCAD) is a possible diagnosis [8,9]. Patients may present with a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios, ranging from angina pectoris to myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, and sudden death [9-12]. In literature, only few cases of spontaneous coronary artery dissection causing cardiac tamponade were described [8,13-15].