A case of painless acute Type-A thoracic aortic dissection

We describe the case of an 83-year-old lady with a known aneurysmal thoracic aorta, developing acute breathlessness and hypoxia, with no pain and unremarkable cardiovascular examination. As d-dimers were raised, she was treated with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for suspected pulmonary embolism. CT pulmonary angiography showed acutely dissecting, Type-A, thoracic aortic aneurysm. The patient was treated medically with beta-blockers. Despite a poor prognosis, she remains well 2 months later. Observational studies of patients over 70 with Type-A dissection show only 75.3% experience pain, are offered surgery less and have higher mortality. d-Dimers are almost always elevated in aortic dissection. No previous studies document breathlessness as the only presenting symptom. This case emphasises the need, in older populations, for a low suspicion threshold for aortic dissection.