Iatrogenicaortocoronarydissection(IACD)isararebutpotentiallylife-threateningcomplicationduringcoronarycatheterizations.Althoughtheincidencewasrelativelylow,thedissectionoftenleadstoprocedurefailurewithincreasedriskofmyocardialinfarctionanddeath.IACDismainlycausedbydisruptionofintimaattheostiaofleftorrightcoronaryarteryduringinterventionalprocedures,andappearsasluminalfillingdefectsorpersistenceofcontrast(“extraluminalcap”)orintimaltearoutsidethecoronarylumen.Dissectioncoulddisseminateantegradelyandleadtosubtotalortotalocclusionofthecoronarylumen.Similarly,itcouldextendretrogradelyintothesinusofValsalvaandcusp,oreventheascendingaorta,aorticarch,ordescendingaorta,leadingtohemodynamiccollapse.EarlyidentificationandpromptmanagementiscrucialtotheprognosisofpatientswithIACD.Immediatebail-outstentingshouldbeperformedasrapidlyaspossibleinmostcasesofseveredissection,evenwhensignificantpropagationhasalreadyoccurred.Surgeryshouldonlybeconsideredwhenstentingfailedtosealthedissectionandthepatientshadhemodynamiccompromise.
