[Spontaneous aortic rupture during pregnancy]

Abstract

Aortic dissection is a rare entity. Half of the aortic dissection cases occur during pregnancy in women under the age of 40. The authors report a case of a multiparous woman at the third trimester of her sixth pregnancy, who died from a sudden and intractable cardiovascular shock. Autopsy revealed the dissection of the ascending aorta. The case is interesting, especially because in the pregnant woman's family it was not the first sudden death during pregnancy. Authors review the relevant literature regarding the symptoms and the genetic basis of this rare but potentially lethal complication of pregnancy.