Mayo Clinic proceedings
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Feb 1986
Case ReportsProgress in the diagnosis and management of aortic dissection.
A 36-year-old man sought medical attention because of pressure in his head and distention of the veins in his neck. Physical examination disclosed a murmur of aortic insufficiency, and a chest roentgenogram showed a dilated ascending aorta. Two-dimensional echocardiography and angiography demonstrated a large intimal tear in the ascending aorta and aortic insufficiency. ⋯ After further assessment of the patient, including elicitation of a similar history in some paternal relatives, Marfan's syndrome was diagnosed. Physicians should be aware of the clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and treatment of aortic dissection. With aggressive treatment, 60 to 90% of patients survived aortic dissection in 1985, whereas only 40 years ago, this entity was rarely recognized premortem or treated successfully.