STEMI in a Young Female? Consider Spontaneous Peripartum Coronary Artery Dissection

Spontaneous peripartum coronary artery dissection is a rare but potentially devastating event in premenopausal young women that is not discussed in core emergency medicine textbooks. It often presents as a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. It is a critical diagnosis which requires immediate interventions including medical therapy, percutaneous intervention, and even coronary artery bypass grafting. However, thrombolytics should be avoided. These 2 cases highlight some of the presenting features, electrocardiogram, and treatments of this rare but clinically important disease.