Aortic Dissection Flashcards
1
Q
What is an aortic dissection?
A
- Tear in the inner wall of the aorta
2
Q
What causes aortic dissection?
A
- Blood forces walls of aorta apart
3
Q
What is a Debakey 1 dissection?
A
- Originates in ascending aorta and propagates
4
Q
What is a debakey 2 dissection?
A
- Originates and is confined to ascending aorta
5
Q
What is a debakey 3 dissection?
A
- Originates in descending aorta and can move
6
Q
What is a stanford A dissection?
A
- Involves ascending aorta and is treated with surgery
7
Q
What is a stanford B dissection?
A
- Excludes ascending aorta
- Treated medically
8
Q
What is seen on the histology?
A
- Cystic medial necrosis
9
Q
What is cystic medial necrosis seen as?
A
- Loss of elastin/muscle fibres
- Accumulation of mucopolysaccharides
10
Q
What can rupturing of an aortic dissection cause?
A
- Tamponade
11
Q
What are the symptoms of dissection?
A
- Tearing/severe chest pain
- Radiating to back
12
Q
What can collapse of an aortic dissection lead to?
A
- Tamponade
- Acute aortic regurgitation
- External rupture
13
Q
What are the signs of an aortic dissection?
A
- Inferior ST elevation
- Reduced/absent peripheral pulses
- Hypotension/hypertension
- Soft early diastolic murmur
- Pulmonary oedema
14
Q
What are the causes of aortic dissection?
A
- Hypertension
- Atherosclerosis
- Trauma
- Marfans syndrome
15
Q
What 3 imaging techniques should be used to diagnose aortic dissection?
A
- CXR
- Echocardiogram
- CT scan
16
Q
What will be seen on a CXR?
A
- Widened mediastinum
17
Q
What drugs should be used to treat aortic dissection?
A
- Meticulous BP control (sodium nitroprusside for stanford B)
- B blockers
- Surgery for stanford A
