Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Secondary to Rheumatological Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a life-threatening condition and multiple conditions have been associated with this entity. This study aims to further investigate and characterize the association of the underlying rheumatological disease with SCAD. A comprehensive literature search on four databases was performed using different Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and all articles on SCAD in association with rheumatological diseases were identified. The analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), v22 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY). Ten articles of SCAD secondary to rheumatological reasons were identified. The majority of presentations were associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Most patients presented with a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) involving the left main coronary vessel. The majority of them were successfully managed with stenting. Mortality was less than 20% with prompt identification and management of the SCAD. SLE was the most commonly reported rheumatological condition associated with SCAD. Prompt diagnosis and management of SCAD in such patients can be life-saving.