Symptoms of AORTIC DISSECTION

Signs and symptoms usually include sudden and severe chest or upper back pain. People often describe the pain as "ripping" or "tearing." In some people, signs and symptoms can be nonspecific, such as anxiety, pallor, sweating and nausea. Aortic dissection may be misinterpreted as a heart attack. But it can also occur at the time of a heart attack, if the dissection involves a coronary artery. A chest X-ray or ultrasound examination may identify a pre-existing abnormality of the aorta, such as a widening (dilation) of the aorta, before dissection occurs. But sometimes, an abnormality isn't found before the dissection. A tear in the aorta can also cause blood to leak into the sac around the heart (pericardium) — called cardiac tamponade. This can quickly cause death. A tear in the aorta that results in massive bleeding into the chest is usually fatal.


Overview of Aortic Dissection Aortic dissection is due to a partial tear in the main artery from the heart (aorta), which causes a separation (dissection) of the layers of the aortic wall and bleeding into and along the wall of the aorta. Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition. Doctors also refer to it as a dissecting aneurysm. Dissection usually occurs within the chest in the upper part (ascending) or the lower part (descending) of the thoracic aorta. But it may also occur in the abdominal aorta. This condition occurs more often in men than in women.
Causes of Aortic Dissection Causes of aortic dissection include: High blood pressure Abnormalities of the aortic wall that are present at birth (congenital), such as in Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Blunt force trauma to the chest
Signs and Symptoms of Aortic Dissection Signs and symptoms usually include sudden and severe chest or upper back pain. People often describe the pain as "ripping" or "tearing." In some people, signs and symptoms can be nonspecific, such as anxiety, pallor, sweating and nausea. Aortic dissection may be misinterpreted as a heart attack. But it can also occur at the time of a heart attack, if the dissection involves a coronary artery. A chest X-ray or ultrasound examination may identify a pre-existing abnormality of the aorta, such as a widening (dilation) of the aorta, before dissection occurs. But sometimes, an abnormality isn't found before the dissection. A tear in the aorta can also cause blood to leak into the sac around the heart (pericardium) — called cardiac tamponade. This can quickly cause death. A tear in the aorta that results in massive bleeding into the chest is usually fatal.