Objective:

To describe the clinical characteristics, management, and short-term outcomes of patients diagnosed with SCAD or CAA at a tertiary hospital in the UAE.

Approach:

• Study Design: Retrospective observational study conducted at Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE from October 2018 to May 2023.
• Case Identification: Cases were identified through systematic screening of electronic medical records using ICD-10 codes and cross-referencing with the cardiac catheterization laboratory registry.
• Data Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used; no inferential comparisons were performed due to small sample size.

Key Findings:

• Of 109 records screened, 87 were excluded after chart adjudication (diagnostic misclassification), and 22 underwent a detailed review, yielding nine patients with confirmed diagnoses: six with CAA and three with SCAD.
• Patients with CAA were exclusively male, with a median age of 59 years (IQR 47.5–75.8); SCAD patients were all female, with a median age of 41 years (IQR 37.0–63.0).
• Two of the three SCAD patients met criteria for pregnancy-associated SCAD (onset during pregnancy or within 12 weeks postpartum).
• Conservative management was adopted in five of six (83.3%) patients with CAA and one of three patients with SCAD.
• One non-cardiovascular in-hospital death occurred in a patient with CAA admitted for palliative oncology care. All patients with documented follow-up reported improvement in symptoms.

Interpretation:

Distinct demographic and clinical profiles were observed for CAA and SCAD in this UAE cohort.

Limitations:

• Small sample size limits generalizability.
• Lack of systematic screening for extracoronary arteriopathy.

Conclusion:

These findings add to the limited Gulf regional data on SCAD and CAA.