Acute thoracic aortic dissection: The basics

With an increasing incidence, aortic dissection is the most common acute illness of the aorta. In the setting of chronic hypertension, with or without other risk factors for aortic dissection, this diagnosis should be considered a diagnostic possibility in patients presenting to the emergency department with acute chest or back pain. Left untreated, about 75% of patients with dissections involving the ascending aorta die within 2 weeks of an acute episode. But with successful initial therapy, the 5-year survival rate increases to 75%. Hence, timely recognition of this disease entity coupled with urgent and appropriate management is the key to a successful outcome in a majority of the patients. This article reviews acute thoracic aortic dissection, including ED diagnosis and management.     

Acute Type A Aortic Dissection in a 37-Week Pregnant Patient: An Unusual Clinical Presentation

Background

Aortic dissection in pregnancy is relatively rare, but it is often fatal. The estimated incidence of aortic dissection in the general population is 2.9 per 100,000 person-years. Early recognition and treatment of aortic dissections are crucial for survival. Whereas the majority of patients who present with aortic dissection are older than 50 years of age and have a history of hypertension, younger patients with connective tissue disease, bicuspid aortic valves, or a family history of aortic dissection are also at increased risk for developing this condition.

Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in the Presence of Acute Type A Aortic Dissections

Nonadherence to hypertensive medications is the most common predisposing factor associated with acute aortic dissections. Acute dissections are more likely to occur in African Americans due to higher rates of uncontrolled hypertension. Through a patient case study, the effects of racial and socioeconomic disparities will be illustrated. Through discussing the case of a 39-year-old African American man who presented with hypertensive crisis and nonadherence to hypertension treatment resulting in the diagnosis of an acute aortic dissection. His case exemplifies the effect of health disparities on postoperative outcomes, morbidity, and mortality in the African American population diagnosed with aortic dissections.     

Acute aortic dissection with painless paraplegia: report of 2 cases

Acute aortic dissection is often a life-threatening event that usually presents as a sudden, severe, exquisitely painful, ripping sensation in the chest or back. There are a few reports of atypical findings or no pain in the literature. We report 2 patients with painless acute aortic dissection who presented to the emergency department (ED) with sudden onset paraplegia.     

Prise en charge chirurgicale de la dissection aortique

Acute or chronic aortic dissections still represent a major challenge for the clinician. Despite its rarity, management is not easy, generally resulting in a bad short-term prognosis. Yet, recent studies based on the International registry of acute aortic dissection assessed clinical tools to help the clinician identifying the various presentations of aortic dissection. Emergency diagnosis relies on specific imaging including transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography. Emergent surgical treatment is mandatory when the dissection involves the ascending aorta. Once the critical phase treated, the aortic dissection usually progresses to a chronic disease with aneurismal transformation and risks of tearing in the remaining dissected aorta, leading to significant mid- and long-term morbidity and mortality. Therefore patients previously treated for aortic dissection have to be tightly monitored during their whole life and rapidly reoperated if required.     

Images in emergency medicine: giant ascending aortic aneurysm dissection with hemopericardium

BACKGROUND:

Acute chest pain represents a common presentation at emergency department. Aortic dissection in young patients, however, is fortunately rare.

METHODS:

We report a case of giant ascending aortic aneurysm with Stanford type A aortic dissection in an otherwise well 22-year-old male patient. Operative aortic valve and root replacement was undertaken with favourable outcome.

RESULTS:

Histopathologic examination of the resected aorta revealed acute on chronic inflammatory change with Langerhans type giant cells consistent with a diagnosis of giant cell aortitis.

CONCLUSION:

While uncommon, emergencies of the aorta may present in young patients. Predisposing conditions are discussed.KEY WORDS: Aorta, Aneurysm, Tamponade, Dissection     

Dissection of the proximal thoracic aorta: a new ultrasonographic sign in the subxiphoid view

Dissection of the thoracic aorta is a life-threatening event that presents with some regularity to emergency departments (EDs). Despite often nonspecific symptoms, it is critical to catch this disease process early, especially when the proximal aorta is involved because dissections involving the aortic root can lead to myocardial infarction and failure of the aortic valve resulting in death. Current imaging options include contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT), angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, or transesophageal echocardiography. Although not as accurate as transesophageal echocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can be used to detect aortic dissection as well. We present a previously undescribed echocardiographic finding associated with proximal dissection of the thoracic aorta in 7 cases.     

Thoracic aortic dissection in an 18-year-old woman with no risk factors

Spontaneous aortic dissection is a rare, life-threatening cause of chest pain, and has a higher prevalence when traditional risks such as age, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or connective tissue disorders are present. However, even in the absence of risk factors, non-traumatic rupture of an aortic dissection may occur. Most are found in patients over 40 years of age. Younger victims of this disease often also suffer from other conditions such as cystic medial necrosis, connective tissue disorders such as Marfan's syndrome, or vasculitis. We present the case of an 18-year-old, previously healthy woman who was country line dancing when she began to complain of severe, cramping chest and back pain. She was hemodynamically stable on initial presentation but experienced two seizures while in the emergency department and was intubated. Subsequently, her blood pressure dropped and she developed cardiac arrest, and despite vigorous resuscitation that included blood products and emergency department thoracotomy, she was refractory to all attempts. At autopsy she was found to have a spontaneous, non-traumatic rupture of an aortic dissection. This patient had no discernable risk factors for aortic dissection or discoverable cause on necropsy. We present this case to raise awareness among physicians and review other reported cases in the literature of aortic dissection in patients under age 40 years.     

主动脉夹层经胸超声心动图漏诊及误诊原因分析

摘要：目的：探讨主动脉夹层超声表现及部分病例漏诊误诊原因。方法：收集经手术证实为主动脉夹层诊断的病例50例进行回顾分析。结果：手术证实升主动脉夹层36处,主动脉弓夹层29处,降主动脉夹层43处。超声心动图对降主动脉病变漏诊16处,对主动脉弓病变漏诊9处,对升主动脉处病变漏诊1处。漏诊导致对主动脉夹层Debakey分型错误,I型夹层误诊16例,II型夹层误诊0例,III型夹层误诊1例。结论：主动脉夹层漏诊数量由高至低依次为降主动脉、主动脉弓、升主动脉,漏诊及误诊与超声医师因素、超声图像及设备因素密切相关。     

Undiagnosed Stanford type A aortic dissection: a rare survival report

Acute aortic dissection is a life-threatening conditions with a high mortality rate within the first 24 h since presentation, if left untreated. Nevertheless the setting may be chronic and stable. We present a rare case of a misdiagnosed and unoperated Stanford type A aortic dissection in a 78-year old woman with stable computed tomography features at the second year of clinical follow-up.     

Acute thoracoabdominal aortic dissection presenting as painless, transient paralysis of the lower extremities: a case report

Acute dissection of the aorta can be one of the most dramatic of cardiovascular emergencies. Its symptoms can occur abruptly and progress rapidly. Prompt recognition and appropriate intervention is crucial. However, not all aortic dissections present with classic symptoms of abrupt chest, back, or abdominal pain, and the diagnosis may be missed. A 63-year-old woman presented with transient loss of lower extremity motor and sensory function as the only symptom of an acute thoracoabdominal aortic dissection. Aortic dissection presenting as a transient neurologic syndrome is quite unusual. The sudden onset of weakness and parasthesia can result from the interruption of blood flow to the spinal cord. These symptoms of acute spinal cord ischemia, suggestive of a serious cardiovascular event, must be recognized and thoroughly investigated.     

Aortic Dissection Presenting as Isolated Lower Leg Ischemia

Background: Aortic dissections that present only with symptoms of lower extremity ischemia are rare. Few case reports exist documenting this phenomenon. Objectives: We report an unusual case of aortic dissection presenting as unilateral lower extremity pain. Case Report: A 56-year-old man presented with left lower extremity pain of 1 h duration. He had no associated complaints. Doppler imaging revealed decreased flow in the left iliac artery, thus, initial treatment with anticoagulation was begun for presumptive obstruction. Subsequent imaging with arteriography revealed a Stanford type A/DeBakey type 1 aortic dissection. This was confirmed by computer-assisted tomography angiography, and the patient was taken to surgery for repair. Conclusion: It is important to consider the connection between lower extremity symptoms and possible aortic dissection.     

Dissecting aortic aneurysms: a clinicopathological study. I. Clinical and gross pathological findings.

One hundred and seventy-one patients with dissecting aneurysm seen between 1951 and 1976 at three hospitals in Manchester were studied. There were 60 proximal dissections, 80 distal dissections, 10 abdominal dissections and in 21 the site of origin was uncertain. Pain was the major symptom in 88 per cent of patients; radiation of pain to the interscapular region was much more common in distal dissections. Systemic hypertension was present in 77 per cent, being commoner in distal dissections (83 per cent) than in proximal dissections (70 per cent). Aortic incompetence, hemiplegia and shock were all more common in proximal dissections. Post-mortem examination was performed in 125 patients. Eighty-four per cent of proximal dissections had ruptured, 74 per cent into the pericardium and five per cent into the left pleural cavity. Seventy per cent of distal dissections had ruptured, 11 per cent into the pericardium and 41 per cent into the left pleural cavity. The extent of the dissection was analysed, and it was shown that 25 per cent of distal dissections had extended proximally into the ascending aorta and arch. This implies that diagnosis of the site of origin of dissection from clinical signs and the plain chest-radiograph is inaccurate. Aortography is required for precise assessment. Since treatment often varies with the site of dissection, aortography should be performed in most patients surviving the first few hours. Attention is drawn to the frequency (10.4 per cent) of multiple aortic lesions, and to the occasional aetiological significance of giant-cell arteritis, and, possibly, hypothyroidism.     

初诊为急性冠脉综合征的主动脉夹层患者的经验教训一例

急性主动脉夹层起病凶险,临床表现多样,初诊极易误诊。而按照其他疾病治疗容易加重急性主动脉夹层,导致患者病情恶化。本研究报道1例初诊为急性冠脉综合征的急性主动脉夹层患者诊治过程中的经验教训,为类似病例的多方位检查及诊断提供参考。     

Clinical characteristics of aortic aneurysm and dissection as a cause of sudden death in outpatients

Objective

To describe characteristics of nonhospitalized patients experiencing sudden death from aortic causes and compare with characteristics of patients experiencing nontraumatic, unexpected, outpatient death from other causes.

Methods

Retrospective case-control analysis of patients aged 18 to 65 years with nontraumatic, unexpected, outpatient cardiac arrest, emergency department (ED) resuscitation attempts, and autopsy-determined cause of death. Demographics, prodromal symptoms, and arrest characteristics were examined, and univariate comparisons between patients with aortic and those with nonaortic causes of death were performed.

Results

A total of 384 patients met inclusion criteria. Aortic pathology represented 4.4% of patients (12 dissections, 5 aneurysms). Preexisting aortic disease (n = 2) and antemortem suspicion of an aortic cause (n = 3) were uncommon. Patients with an aortic cause of death often had prodromal symptoms (53% 95% CI; 28%-77%) and hemopericardium (47% 95% CI; 23%-72%), were older, and were more likely to have a pulse in the ED, an arrest rhythm of pulseless electrical activity, and an arrest witnessed arrest by a medical provider.

Conclusion

In this sample of outpatients with cardiac arrest from aortic disease, death was not instantaneous, and hemopericardium was common in many patients with dissection.     

A case of pulmonary artery dissection diagnosed in the Emergency Department

Pulmonary artery dissections typically occur at the site of a pulmonary artery aneurysm associated with pulmonary hypertension or connective tissue disease. Dyspnea on exertion, retrosternal chest pain, central cyanosis, and sudden hemodynamic decompensation are the four main clinical signs and symptoms associated with a pulmonary artery dissection. Diagnosis of a pulmonary artery dissection frequently occurs postmortem, as many of these patients experience sudden death when the main pulmonary artery dissects into the pericardium, causing acute cardiac tamponade. Pulmonary artery dissection has been diagnosed in living patients using transthoracic echocardiogram, computed tomography (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiography. Surgery is curative. Emergency physicians should consider the diagnosis of pulmonary artery dissection in patients presenting with either retrosternal chest pain, dyspnea on exertion, central cyanosis, or sudden hemodynamic decompensation and who have a past medical history of pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery surgery, or a disease causing chronic inflammation of myocardial or vascular tissue.     

Painless aortic dissection presenting with acute ischaemic stroke and multiple organ failure

Acute aortic dissection is an uncommon, life‐threatening catastrophe, and early diagnosis is essential for the best chance of survival. Although acute onset of severe chest or back pain is the most common presenting symptom, some patients might present with atypical symptoms and findings such as acute stroke and mesenteric ischaemia related to the involving arterial segment. Establishing the diagnosis of aortic dissection can be difficult in the presence of atypical symptoms, especially in the absence of pain. Here, we report a case of acute, painless aortic dissection presenting with multiple organ failure and neurological deficits suggesting acute ischaemic stroke.     

急性Stanford A型主动脉夹层的外科治疗策略及其进展

急性Stanford A型主动脉夹层在临床上是一种极度危险的疾病,一旦发作大多患者都会在急性期死亡,很少有患者会迁延到慢性期,所以临床处理颇为棘手。目前该疾病的发病原因及机理尚不明确,临床最有效的治疗手段是积极采取外科手术治疗,虽然外科治疗手段一直在不断地改进、提高,但是患者的死亡率依然很高。本文就急性Stanford A型主动脉夹层的外科处理策略及目前的现状作一综述,以期为今后的研究提供有价值的参考。     

Acute Aortic Dissection With ST Segment Myocardial Infarction Following Masturbation

BackgroundAcute aortic dissection is the most common life-threatening disorder affecting the aorta, and can mimic other disease processes. We describe an unusual presentation of a critically ill patient with initial hematospermia diagnosed with a type A acute aortic dissection.Case ReportA 68 year old man presented to a community ED after masturbation and report of blood in his ejaculate, followed by rapid development of severe low back, chest and hip pain with shock. ECG showed evidence of ST segment elevation, but suspicion remained high for thoracic or abdominal aortic catastrophe. Bedside ultrasound demonstrated no pericardial effusion, a severely hypokinetic myocardium and a question of fluid in the left perinephric space. Attempts were made to resuscitate the patient, and an ED chest/abdomen/pelvis CT showed a type A acute thoracic aortic dissection. Unfortunately, the patient remained profoundly unstable, with multiple arrests. He was transferred to a tertiary care facility, but expired shortly after arrival.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?An emergency physician needs to be aware of the myriad of presentations of acute aortic dissection. Although hematospermia was felt ultimately to be an incidental symptom, sexual activity may bring about a significant transient increase in blood pressure, which could contribute to sheer force causing aortic injury. Awareness of this trigger and a careful sensitive history may aid the clinician in early diagnosis.     

Aortic dissection presenting as uniocular blindness

A patient presented with uniocular blindness and headache, which was initially suspected to be subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient had a seven-year history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypothyroidism, as well as a two-year history of congestive cardiac failure with aortic regurgitation. Upon autopsy, the patient was diagnosed with aortic dissection. There are no other known reports of such a presentation. This case demonstrates that aortic dissection can present without any classical features, and hence it is important to consider the possibility of dissection in patients with long-standing hypertension and acute neurologic symptoms associated with pain.