Acute Aortic Syndrome: A Life-Threatening Cause of Sudden Chest Pain
Acute Aortic Syndrome: A Life-Threatening Cause of Sudden Chest Pain Author: Scholargen Inc Medical Imaging Team Category: Vascular Emergencies | Radiology | CTA Interpretation Introduction: When Chest Pain Demands Urgency Chest pain is one of the most frequent complaints in the emergency department. While acute coronary syndrome is often suspected first, Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS) must not be overlooked, especially in elderly patients with hypertension and a history of cardiovascular procedures. AAS encompasses a group of potentially fatal aortic pathologies requiring immediate recognition and intervention. In this case review, we present a 67-year-old woman with sudden, tearing chest pain , whose ECG-gated CT angiography (CTA) revealed Stanford type A aortic dissection with associated intramural hematoma (IMH) and intramural blood pooling . This article highlights the imaging features, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and management strategies for AAS...