Pill to Pain: First Case of Topiramate-Induced Chronic Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD)

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a non-traumatic, non-iatrogenic, and non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disorder that manifests clinically as acute coronary syndrome (ACS), arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death (SCD). It is a rare cause of ACS (1.7%-4%) and SCD (0.5%), more common in women than men. It was first reported in 1931 in a 42-year-old female at autopsy, who had SCAD after violent retching and vomiting. We report a case of a 51-year-old female who developed sudden-onset chest pain after taking topiramate (TPM). Her chest pain persisted for 1.5 months prior to her outpatient evaluation, which led to further cardiac workup. An urgent left heart catheterization (LHC) revealed a SCAD. Her symptoms improved with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and she was discharged home on aspirin, statins, and beta-blockers.