Acute aortic dissection into a preexisting abdominal aortic aneurysm

Acute aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting as coexistent conditions is rare. We report a patient with a history of hypertension and acute severe back pain who had an acute aortic dissection extending into a preexisting 8 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm that was diagnosed by CT scan. There was no evidence of aortic rupture or leakage. The patient was treated with antihypertensive medication for 2 months to allow maturation of the acute dissection prior to elective repair of the abdominal aortic aneurysm. The repair was constructed to allow continued perfusion of both the true and false lumina by fenestration of the aortic septum at the proximal anastomosis. There were no postoperative complications. This case illustrates an unusual combination of aortic diseases. A management plan is described that safely treats both pathologic conditions.Presented at the Fourth Annual Winter Meeting of the Peripheral Vascular Surgical Society, Breckenridge, Colo., January 21– 24, 1994.