title: The many faces of aortic dissections: Beware of unusual presentations.
abstract: Aortic dissection is gaining recognition in Western societies, and it is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. New diagnostic imaging modalities, longer life expectancy, as well as the increase in the number patients suffering from hypertension have all contributed to the growing awareness of aortic dissection. Nevertheless, as many as 30% of patients ultimately diagnosed with acute dissection are first thought to be suffering from something else. The increased availability and use of multidetector computed tomography has led to the incidental discovery of aortic dissection in very different settings. This article focuses on unusual presentations of painless aortic dissection. It is important for radiologists to remember that aortic dissections may present in different ways, not only as an acute, critical fatality but also with subtle, unusual signs and symptoms, which apparently do not seem to be strictly related to aortic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Emergency and Trauma CT Section, Department of Radiology, Cardarelli Hospital, Via G. Merliani 31, 80127 Napoli, Italy. mscaglione@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salvolini
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casciani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovagnoni
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Volterrani
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*