Chronic voice hoarseness: when is it an emergency?
We report a 68-year-old man with chronic voice hoarseness, who presented to the emergency room with left-sided chest and hypochondrial pain. Chest radiograph showed a large mediastinal mass confirmed to be a thoracic aortic aneurysm by an emergent computed tomography scan. Examination and investigations of a patient with voice hoarseness and chest pain should focus on looking out for dissecting or leaking aneurysms, which may be catastrophic if missed.
Kuan
Win Sen
WS
Emergency Medicine Department, National University Hospital, Singapore. kuanwinsen@hotmail.com
Lee
Sock Koon
SK
Suat Ooi
Shirley Beng
SB
D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002637:Chest Pain; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013577:Syndrome; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology