Standing tall after DeBakey Type I aortic dissection extending to left iliac artery

Abstract

This report describes DeBakey Type I aortic dissection in a middle-aged hypertensive female who had undergone mitral tissue valve replacement a decade previously. The patient had severe abrupt onset tearing pain in her throat, back, and chest, for which she got admitted in a community hospital, where because of no changes in her ECG and biomarkers, the dissection of aorta was missed. She was subjected to coronary angiography more than 6 weeks later for pain in her left shoulder, which demonstrated normal vessels. She then underwent multi-detector computerised tomography aortogram (MD CTA) that revealed aortic dissection involving ascending, the arch, and descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. The patient declined surgical intervention and has been provided medical therapy in the form of high dose oral beta-blocker and losartan. The patient continues to be stable for the past 18 weeks since the index event. The report highlights the importance of detecting aortic dissection by keeping high index of clinical suspicion in a patient with abrupt onset tearing pain in the throat/back and employment of MD CTA.