Unusual manifestations of aortic dissection

Severe obstructive sleep apnoea, aortic dissection and aortopulmonary fistula in a 56-year-old patient with syncope

We present a case of a 56-year-old patient with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) presenting with acute decompensated heart failure and signs of cardiogenic shock. Echocardiography and CT imaging led to the diagnosis of acute type A aortic dissection (AD) complicated by aortopulmonary fistula (APF). The patient underwent successful surgical repair with complicated postoperative course including pulseless electrical activity arrest. This case highlights the underappreciated role of untreated OSA as a risk factor for AD. Furthermore, it presents an opportunity to review APFs as a rare complication of AD. We discuss the available evidence linking OSA and AD, review currently reported cases of APF, briefly outline the haemodynamics of this acute left-to-right shunt and discuss management of this rare but deadly complication.

A review of aortopulmonary fistulas in aortic dissection

Aortopulmonary fistula is an exceedingly rare complication of aortic dissection. Only 4 cases in acute dissection and 8 cases in the chronic one have been published previously. We report the thirteenth case and a review of the literature. A man underwent an operation for type A aortic dissection. At surgery, a fistula was discovered between the false lumen and the main pulmonary artery, although the preoperative investigations did not suggest such a complication.

Aortic dissection: rupture into right ventricle and right pulmonary artery

Rupture of an acute ascending aortic dissection into a surrounding cardiac chamber or pulmonary artery is an uncommon occurrence, and is often only diagnoses post mortem. Although fistulization (aortopulmonary and aorta-right atrial) after acute aortic dissection has been well documented in the literature, acute aortic dissection fistulizing into both the right ventricle and pulmonary artery has not. We report on a 75-year-old woman who presented with an acute ascending aortic dissection with both aortopulmonary and aorta-right ventricular fistulas who underwent repair and had long-term survival.