Aortic Dissection in a Young Woman: A Painless Presentation With Stroke-Like Symptoms and Horner’s Syndrome

Aortic dissection is a rare cardiovascular emergency that can present atypically, complicating diagnosis and management. We report the case of a woman in her 30s with Stanford Type A aortic dissection, presenting with stroke-like symptoms and Horner's syndrome without chest pain. Initial management focused on her neurological deficits, delaying the diagnosis. Bedside echocardiography and confirmatory imaging ultimately revealed an extensive dissection. Despite medical management, the patient succumbed to her condition. This case underscores the importance of recognizing atypical presentations of aortic dissection to enable timely diagnosis and improve outcomes.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-06-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.85764
Primary Topic
Aortic Disease and Treatment Approaches
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Aortic Dissection in a Young Woman: A Painless Presentation With Stroke-Like Symptoms and Horner’s Syndrome

Anita M Medepalli, Muhammad Khan, Blake Edwards
Cureus
Aortic Disease and Treatment Approaches
article

Aortic Dissection in a Young Woman: A Painless Presentation With Stroke-Like Symptoms and Horner’s Syndrome

Anita M Medepalli, Muhammad Khan, Blake Edwards
article en

Abstract

Aortic dissection is a rare cardiovascular emergency that can present atypically, complicating diagnosis and management. We report the case of a woman in her 30s with Stanford Type A aortic dissection, presenting with stroke-like symptoms and Horner's syndrome without chest pain. Initial management focused on her neurological deficits, delaying the diagnosis. Bedside echocardiography and confirmatory imaging ultimately revealed an extensive dissection. Despite medical management, the patient succumbed to her condition. This case underscores the importance of recognizing atypical presentations of aortic dissection to enable timely diagnosis and improve outcomes.

CureusVol. 17(6)
Mercer University (US)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 78%
Aortic Disease and Treatment Approaches
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