title: An incorrect diagnosis and an unexpected cause of respiratory failure.
abstract: Thoracic aortic aneurysms often are asymptomatic or cause nonspecific symptoms such as cough, dyspnea, wheezing, or dysphagia. Acute onset of severe chest, neck, back, or abdominal pain may indicate an aortic rupture or dissection. Early identification and treatment, including optimized medical management and evaluation for surgical intervention, are necessary to improve patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: At the time this article was written, Melanie Jandrin was a student in the PA program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse-Mayo-Gundersen. She is now a hospitalist PA at Winona Health in Winona, Minn. Michael Breunig practices in the Division of Hospital Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jandrin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breunig
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003371:Cough; D003680:Deglutition Disorders; D004417:Dyspnea; D006801:Humans; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*