Acute type A aortic dissection in a cardiac allograft recipient: case report and review of the literature

Dissection of the ascending aorta is uncommon in cardiac allograft recipients and usually affects the native aorta. The diagnosis is often made at necropsy. The first case is reported of a Bentall procedure performed in a heart transplant recipient who presented with ascending aortic dissection of the donor aorta and concomitant aortic regurgitation seven years after orthotopic transplantation.