Thickening of the pulmonary artery wall in acute intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The occurrence of pulmonary artery obstruction in the course of acute aortic dissection is an unusual complication. The mechanism implicated is the rupture of the outer layer of the aorta and the subsequent hemorrhage into the adventitia of the pulmonary artery that causes its wall thickening and, at times, produces extrinsic obstruction of the vessel. There are no reports of this complication in acute intramural hematoma.

Case presentation

An 87-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital in shock after having had severe chest pain followed by syncope. An urgent transesophageal echocardiogram revealed the presence of acute intramural hematoma, no evidence of aortic dissection, severe pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade, and periaortic hematoma that involv

SUBMITTER: Munin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1769475 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature