Challenges in the management of postpartum spontaneous coronary artery dissection

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare event, disproportionately affecting young women free of atherosclerotic risk factors in the peripartum period. The pathophysiology of peripartum SCAD and how it differs from other forms is not well understood. Fewer than 500 cases of SCAD have been reported in the literature worldwide, only a fraction of which have occurred in peripartum patients. This single-center case series of five postpartum SCAD patients with longitudinal follow-up, along with a review of the literature, presents a diverse set of complications and management strategies and highlights the challenges in caring for these patients in the absence of robust clinical data or consensus guidelines.