Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition caused by a tear in the intimal layer of the aorta or bleeding within the aortic wall, resulting in the separation (dissection) of the layers of the ...

An aortic dissection is a tear in one of the layers of the aorta. The aorta is your body’s largest blood vessel. Your aorta is made up of three layers. When a hole or tear forms in one of these layers ...

Aortic dissection arises when a tear in the intimal layer of the aorta permits blood to enter the medial wall, creating a true lumen and a parallel false lumen. Traditionally managed by open surgery, ...

When you feel sudden severe chest or upper back pain, it's easy to assume what's happening is a heart attack. It could be, but it could also be an aortic dissection -- a condition that can be severe ...

It often starts with sudden, sharp chest pain that feels unlike anything you have experienced before. It might spread to your back or seem to ease off, but it’s not something to brush aside. Aortic ...

A 74-year-old man presents to the emergency department with a 1-day history of severe chest and back pain. He has a history of hypertension and has run out of medication. He has no history of similar ...

Sometimes the aorta—the largest blood vessel in our bodies—can tear, allowing blood to flow between layers of the aortic wall. This dissection can block blood from flowing to other parts of the body, ...

What Is an Aortic Dissection? An aortic dissection is an emergency with your aorta, which is the largest blood vessel in your body and the main artery that takes blood from your heart to the rest of ...