Acute Type a Aortic Dissection and Cardiac Tamponade

Abstract

ost cases of cardiac tamponade are diagnosed on the linical findings of elevated systemic venous pressure, achycardia, quiet heart sounds, and paradoxical arteial pulse pressure, but ancillary examinations are eeded for defining proper intervention and defining rognosis (1). Widened mediastinum and cardiac silhouette on chest -ray study are classical radiographic signs of aortic issection, but these signs have been reported in just half f cases (1). The classical “water-bottle” cardiac silhoutte finding on large pericardium effusion is rarely found n the acute settings of aortic dissection. Echocardiography is the gold standard for the diagosis of hemopericardium. Findings of hemopericardium nclude pericardial effusion, right atrial compression, and bnormal ventricular dimensions during the respiratory ycle, right ventricular diastolic collapse in severe cases, nd abnormal respiratory variation in tricuspid and mitral ow velocities (2). Unfortunately, in the following case, his technique was not available when the patient arrived t the hospital. Computed tomography (CT) is seldom used as the rst approach for cardiac tamponade, even though it is ommonly indicated for aortic dissection evaluation. e present CT findings in a patient with aortic disection who developed cardiac tamponade during the T evaluation.