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Case Reports
. 2022 Jun 19;17(9):3031-3034.
doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2022.06.020. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Extensive aortic dissection (Stanford Type A) presenting with confusion in a patient: a case report

Cheuk Tung Kam  1 , Mina Soliman  2 , Nneka Okafor  2 , Jaideep Rait  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Extensive aortic dissection (Stanford Type A) presenting with confusion in a patient: a case report

Cheuk Tung Kam et al. Radiol Case Rep. .

Abstract

Spontaneous extensive aortic dissection is rarely documented in the literature with a misdiagnosis rate of up to 38% in previous studies. Vital signs and clinical manifestations vary and depend on the extent of the dissection and location. We present a rare case of extensive Stanford Type A dissection in a 60-year-old female patient who presented with confusion. Type A aortic dissection is a surgical emergency that is important for clinicians to have a low threshold of suspicion of the life-threatening condition due to the diverse and potentially atypical clinical presentation of aortic dissection.

Keywords: Aortic dissection; Case report; Confusion; Imaging; Stanford Type A.

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Figures

Fig 1:
Fig. 1
Coronal section of CT angiogram aorta showing Type A dissection from the aortic root (red arrow), extending throughout the aorta (empty arrow) and involving common iliac arteries bilaterally (solid arrows), with poor enhancement involving the liver, stomach, spleen, small bowel, part of the colon and the right kidney, highly suspicious of ischemia.
Fig 2:
Fig. 2
Transverse section of CT angiogram aorta showing only enhancement of left kidney (red arrow) with occlusion of SMA (white arrow).
Fig 3:
Fig. 3
Transverse section of CT angiogram aorta showing the dissection extending into right brachiocephalic (red arrow), left common carotid (yellow arrow), and left subclavian artery (white arrow).
Fig 4:
Fig. 4
Coronal section of CT angiogram aorta showing the dissection extending into right common iliac artery (arrow), showing the false and true lumen.
Fig 5:
Fig. 5
Sagittal section of CT angiogram showing the dissection extending into left common iliac artery (arrow), showing the false and true lumen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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