Dissection
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, carrying oxygen-rich blood throughout your system.
Aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops along the inner layer of the aorta. As blood rushes through this tear, it can cause the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate or dissect. If the blood breaches the outer layer of the aorta, the condition can be fatal.
Risk factors for aortic dissection include:
- Chronic high blood pressure
- Family history of aortic dissection
- Hardening of the arteries
- Aneurysm
- Traumatic chest injury
- Certain genetic diseases:
- Turner’s syndrome
- Marfan syndrome
- Other connective tissue disorders
- Inflammatory or infectious conditions
Symptoms of aortic dissection are sudden and often severe, and may include:
- Severe chest pain
- Severe back pain
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of consciousness
- Pain in the arms or legs
- Rapid, weak pulse
- Severe abdominal pain
- Sudden difficulty speaking, loss of vision, weakness, or paralysis on one side of your body (similar to stroke symptoms)
Aortic Dissection Diagnosis
An aortic dissection can be a life-threatening event. If you believe you or someone nearby may be experiencing one, please call 9-1-1 immediately. An initial physician review will include taking your medical history and performing a physical exam, followed by ordering diagnostic tests.
Treatment
Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that typically requires immediate treatment, including emergency surgery. Less severe dissections may be initially treated with medications. CMC has pioneered cutting-edge endovascular treatments for certain types of aortic dissection, being the first in New England to make these minimally-invasive options available to patients.
Diagnostic Tests
To detect a tear in the aorta, more sensitive diagnostic tests may be used. These may include:
- CT scan: combines a series of x-ray images taken from different angles around your body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images (slices) of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body.
- Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE): uses an ultrasound probe inserted through the esophagus. to get detailed images of the heart and aorta.
- Aortic Angiogram: uses a special dye and x-rays to see how blood flows through the aorta.
- Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA): a type of MRI that looks specifically at the body’s blood vessels.
- CT Scan: combines a series of x-ray images taken from different angles around your body and uses computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional images.