Salvage myocardial revascularisation in spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection with cardiogenic shock – the role of mechanical circulatory support

Abstract

Spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary events or sudden cardiac death, constituting less than 1% of all epicardial coronary artery dissections. It is often fatal and is mostly recognized at post-mortem examination in young victims of sudden death. More than 70% of the reported cases occurred in women, particularly during pregnancy and the peripartum period and those on oral contraceptives. The clinical presentation is highly variable and prognosis varies widely, depending predominantly on the speed of diagnosis. Treatment options include medical therapy, revascularization with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and mechanical circulatory support in cases of cardiogenic shock.

We report a case of spontaneous dissection of the left main stem coronary artery, with extension into the left coronary territory, which occurred in a 41-year-old lady, complicated by profound cardiogenic shock requiring recovery with extracorporeal mechanical circulatory support after salvage myocardial revascularization.