A 59-year-old patient with chest pain was transferred to our emergency unit. Computed
tomography depicted a dissection membrane limited to the aortic root and a seemingly
normal ascending aorta. Further downstream stenosis of the descending aorta appeared.
Intraoperatively, complete intimal absence in the ascending aorta with intussusception
into the descending aorta was evident. Ascending aortic and hemiarch replacement was
performed. This rare case should raise the surgeons' awareness that preoperative imaging
can differ considerably from intraoperative findings.
Keywords
acute aortic dissection - complete circumferential intimal intussusception - NIRS
- aortic intimal invagination
