Hoarseness as imminent symptom of aortic aneurysm rupture (Ortner's syndrome)

Abstract

Ortner's syndrome (cardiovocal syndrome) is the clinical entity of hoarseness due to left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy caused by cardiovascular disease. We present a case of an 86-year-old woman with hoarseness as a prominent symptom due to a large painless aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, which soon ruptured. Cardiovocal syndrome can be a rare but an important and probably the only major clinical finding of a painless aortic rupture.