title: Dissecting aortic aneurysm in pregnant women without Marfan disease.
abstract: Dissection of the young women without Marfan disease is related, in most instances, to pregnancy. The structural changes in the arterial wall that occur during pregnancy may predispose women to this complication of pregnancy. In this study, two young women, who had none of the characteristics of Marfan's syndrome, were operated upon for dissection of the ascending aorta. The first patient was in the 35th week of gestation and a cesarean section was performed prior to replacement of the ascending aorta. In the second patient, diagnosis of dissection and severe aortic regurgitation occurred in the postpartum period. Knowledge of this albeit relatively rare complication of pregnancy may assist the clinician in diagnosing and referring patients early for surgical treatment that, in most instances, may save the lives of both mother and fetus.
authors.affiliation: Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department, Ichilov Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Snir
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levinsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Findler
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Vidne
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001011:Aorta; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008382:Marfan Syndrome; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*