More than just muscle spasms: a rare presentation of aortic dissection.
Acute aortic dissection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, often from complications including aortic regurgitation, cardiac tamponade and myocardial infarction. Typical clinical presentation includes a sudden onset of severe chest pain, although this is not always consistent. Clinical signs and symptoms are diverse with an estimated 38% of cases being missed on initial evaluation. Primary neurological symptoms at presentation are rare but have been reported often to coexist with chest pain. We present a case of acute aortic dissection in which the initial presenting symptoms were predominantly neurological. Stanford type A dissection is a surgical emergency with a high burden of cardiovascular death; thus, aggressive identification and management is paramount. Our case re-emphasises the importance of having a higher index of suspicion and a keen clinical eye for atypical presentations of acute aortic dissection.
Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, USA.
Ebisa
E
Bekele
Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, USA.
Deepthi Chaitanya
DC
Kagolanu
Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, USA.
Martin
M
Kim
Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, USA.
Kent
K
Stephenson
D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D000792:Angiography; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged
D015415:Biomarkers