Aortic dissection presenting as gait disturbance: a case report.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-2013
Abstract
Emergency medicine dogma traditionally teaches that aortic dissection presents as tearing chest pain, radiating to the back. This case report describes a 55-year-old woman presenting with a left homonymous hemianopsia and resultant gait disturbance. Initial head computed tomography demonstrated a right parietal infarct, and chest radiograph demonstrated a markedly widened mediastinum. Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection was subsequently confirmed. This report provides further evidence for atypical, painless presentations of aortic dissection. Given recent literature on the increasing prevalence of painless dissection, the disease entity should be included in the differential diagnosis for stroke, and a simple portable chest x-ray should always be obtained before administering thrombolytics.
Volume
31
Issue
1
First Page
1
Last Page
2
ISSN
1532-8171
Published In/Presented At
Estreicher, M., Portale, J., & Lopez, B. (2013). Aortic dissection presenting as gait disturbance: a case report. The American journal of emergency medicine, 31(1), 269.e1–269.e2692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2012.04.029
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
22742952
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article