Aortic aneurysm and dissection in pregnancy: A case report

Abstract

We describe a 24-year-old pregnant woman at 34 weeks of gestation who presented to a community hospital with sharp chest pain radiating to her back. She was found to have a 6 cm ascending aortic aneurysm despite not having any established risk factors. She was transported by air ambulance to a tertiary-care hospital. She delivered a live female neonate via cesarean delivery. Her postpartum course was notable for multiple episodes of chest pain and multiple imaging studies that were read as negative for aortic dissection. Definitive valve surgery was postponed by the cardiothoracic surgeons to allow for recovery from severe preeclampsia, treatment of endometritis, and due to concerns for uterine bleeding while on anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass. She was eventually transferred to another hospital in another state for valve-sparing surgery. During transport, she developed a pulmonary embolism, and after arrival an aortic dissection was confirmed. She received a mechanical aortic valve replacement and the aneurysm was repaired. She returned home and recovered without complication. A gene panel revealed a heterozygous pathogenic variant of the Filamin A gene. Aortic aneurysms during pregnancy are rare, and aortic dissections are more rare. We recommend expeditious surgical treatment, a heightened index of suspicion, and testing for a genetic cause of aneurysm when diagnosed in a pregnant or postpartum woman with no known risk factors.

Keywords: Aortic aneurysm; Aortic dissection; CPB, cardiopulmonary bypass; CT, cardiothoracic; CTA, computed tomography angiography; CXR, chest x-ray; Case report; Pregnancy.

Fig. 1

Café-au-lait macule.

Fig. 2

Timeline of episodes of care.