Open AccessAortic dissection: A life‐threatening stroke mimicker
Author(s) -
Ahmad Nurul Huda,
Tan Toh Leong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/1024907917745155
Subject(s) - medicine , aortic dissection , embolectomy , dissection (medical) , physical examination , stroke (engine) , surgery , radiology , presentation (obstetrics) , cardiology , aorta , pulmonary embolism , mechanical engineering , engineering
Aortic dissection is a life‐threatening cardiovascular emergency, and despite medical advances, its diagnosis is often shrouded by the diversity of its clinical presentation. Physician must have high index of suspicion, especially in those with unusual combination of features that may occur in acute painless dissection. We report a case of a man presented with right‐sided weakness and syncope associated with pulse deficits at multiple levels. Physical examination of the lower limb is consistent with acute limb ischemia. Computed tomogram thorax done after emergency embolectomy revealed extensive Stanford type A aortic dissection down to the level of abdominal aortic bifurcation. The diagnosis of aortic dissection is delayed due to his atypical symptoms, which is likely resulted from malperfusion syndrome of aortic dissection.