Acute Type A Aortic Dissection in a 36-Week Pregnant Patient

Aortic dissection is a relatively rare yet often fatal condition. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for survival. While the majority of patients who present with aortic dissection are older than 50 years of age and have a history of hypertension, younger patients with connective tissue dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Erol Kohli, Sharhabeel Jwayyed, Gary Giorgio, Mary Colleen Bhalla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2013-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Emergency Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/390670
Description
Summary:Aortic dissection is a relatively rare yet often fatal condition. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for survival. While the majority of patients who present with aortic dissection are older than 50 years of age and have a history of hypertension, younger patients with connective tissue disease, bicuspid aortic valves, and a family history of aortic dissection are also at an increased risk for developing this condition. A review of the literature revealed a paucity of published cases describing the successful, emergent repair of acute type A aortic dissections in third- trimester gravid patients. We present the case of the successful diagnosis and surgical repair of a 41-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with an acute type A aortic dissection at 36 weeks of gestation.
ISSN:2090-648X
2090-6498