Thrombolytic therapy in spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

A 42-year-old female with no cardiac risk factors had an acute anterolateral myocardial infarction treated with intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Selective coronary cineangiography a week later revealed extensive dissection of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and its second diagonal branch. Sixteen months later, she is asymptomatic. This is the fifth reported case of spontaneous coronary artery dissection treated with thrombolytic therapy during the acute event with uneventful recovery.