Acute myocardial infarction due to spontaneous postpartum multi-vessel coronary artery dissection

Abstract

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of myocardial infarction in young, otherwise healthy people. We present a case report of a 37-year-old woman, without cardiovascular risk factors, who survived a major acute myocardial infarction due to multi-vessel spontaneous coronary artery dissection which was complicated by cardiogenic shock in the third week postpartum. She fully recovered with medical therapy in combination with angioplasty.<Learning objective: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during pregnancy and postpartum is a rare but often catastrophic event and spontaneous coronary artery dissection is the most frequent cause of AMI in this population. Because of the high mortality rate, it is important to recognize this entity in the early stage of presentation. Coronary angiography remains the golden standard and should be performed without hesitation in unstable patients.>