Abstract
Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of acute myocardial infarction in women. The peripartum period, defined as the last month of pregnancy to three months post-delivery, is known to be associated with SCAD. However, differences in patient characteristics between those with non-peripartum SCAD (npSCAD) and peripartum SCAD (pSCAD) are ill-defined. It is also unknown if the prevalence of extracoronary vascular abnormalities (EVAs) or SCAD recurrence differ between patients with npSCAD and pSCAD. Methods: Patients presenting to a dedicated SCAD clinic were enrolled in a single-center registry. Baseline characteristics, SCAD presentation, lab and imaging results, and recurrent SCAD events were assessed. All patients were screened for EVAs, defined as fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, and dissection with cross-sectional imaging. Patient characteristics, clinical presentation, presence of EVAs, and recurrent SCAD events were stratified by peripartum status. Results: 125 SCAD patients were identified from June 2016 to March 2020. Mean age (SD) at 1st SCAD event was 45.8 (10.1) years, 94.4% were female, and 15.2% (19/125) of patients were peripartum. Differences in patient characteristics between npSCAD and pSCAD are outlined in the table. npSCAD patients were older (47.5 (9.76) vs 35.6 (0.93), p= 0.0001) at the time of their 1st SCAD event and had increased rates of hypertension (35.6% (37/105) vs 11.1% (2/18), p=0.04). Those with pSCAD had higher rates of SCAD in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) (64.8% (64/125) vs 89.5% (17/19), p=0.03). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of EVAs or SCAD recurrence between npSCAD and pSCAD. Conclusion: Peripartum SCAD is associated with higher rates of dissection in the LAD compared to non-peripartum SCAD. There is no difference in prevalence of EVAs or recurrent SCAD in patients presenting with pSCAD.
Published Version
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