Aortic aneurysm dissection – diagnosis may be hard to make
Keywords:
aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, erythrocyte sedimentation rateAbstract
The authors report the case of a 70-year-old woman admitted
with intense asthenia, anaemia and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate following an acute and sudden episode of anterior
thoracic pain six weeks before. Clinical investigation was conclusive for the diagnosis of subacute aortic dissection type A. Surgical
repair and placement of endovascular prosthesis was performed,
allowing the disappearance of general manifestations.
Aortic dissection is usually associated with an acute and highly
symptomatic clinical presentation. This case report illustrates the
diagnostic difficulties when aortic dissection presents with prominent features characterized by systemic symptoms and elevated
acute phase response laboratory parameters. Knowledge of this
atypical presentation, a high degree of suspicion, and investigation using an adequate imaging method will help improve our
capability for a correct diagnosis of this entity.
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