title: Penetrating atherosclerotic aortic ulcer rupture causing a right hemothorax; a rare presentation of acute aortic syndrome.
abstract: Acute aortic syndrome is a spectrum of diseases that have similar presentation and clinical background and include aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer. Presented here is an 82-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes, hypertension, nephrectomy, and chronic renal failure who complained of sudden abdominal pain radiating to epigastrium and back. At presentation, the patient was hemodynamically stable with a hemoglobin level of 10.2 and white blood cell count of 12. Chest x-ray showed a right pleural effusion and lung opacity with interstitial pulmonary edema. Computed tomography demonstrated an aortic penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer that ruptured into the right pleural space resulting in right hemothorax. A percutaneous endostent was placed with subsequent discharge of the patient 10 days after admission.
authors: Department of Radiology Thoracic and Abdominal Imaging, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL 33136, USA. ysiegel@med.miami.edu
authors: Yoel
authors: Y
authors: Siegel
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D057510:Endovascular Procedures; D005260:Female; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015607:Stents; D014456:Ulcer / Q000150:complications*