Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: An Overview of Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management

 Usman Sarwar   Nikky Bardia   Hassan Tahir   Ali Hussain   Amod Amritphale

Abstract

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is non-atherosclerotic disease that can lead to luminal obstruction. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism is the separation of coronary artery intima from media or media from adventitia, resulting in hematoma that can cause longitudinal extension or axial compression of vessel resulting in occlusion of the true lumen of coronary artery. New imaging techniques, such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), have led to improved diagnosis. The management depends upon several factors, including presenting clinical scenario, hemodynamically instability, and coronary anatomy features.