title: Painless aortic dissection masquerading as brainstem stroke with catastrophic anticoagulant use.
abstract: Painless aortic dissection with only focal neurological symptoms and signs can be a great challenge to the emergency physician. Inadvertently and erroneous treatment of stroke may threaten patient's life. We present a patient with painless aortic dissection (DeBakey I), which was initially misdiagnosed as brainstem stroke with catastrophic anticoagulant use. Finally, the patient died of multiorgan failure after surgical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 111, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Tung-Yao
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Vei-Ken
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.forename: Ta-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Chin-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Yi-Kung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chee-Fah
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Tzong-Luen
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020526:Brain Stem Infarctions / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants