Stroke Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stroke, including details on treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, signs, symptoms.

Painless aortic dissection masquerading as brainstem stroke with catastrophic anticoagulant use.

Tsai TY, Seow VK, Shen TC, Chuang CH, Lee YK, Chong CF, Wang TL

Emergency Department, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 111, Taiwan, ROC.

Painless aortic dissection with only focal neurological symptoms and signs can be a great challenge to the emergency physician. Inadvertently and erroneous treatment of stroke may threaten patient's life. We present a patient with painless aortic dissection (DeBakey I), which was initially misdiagnosed as brainstem stroke with catastrophic anticoagulant use. Finally, the patient died of multiorgan failure after surgical intervention.

Published 14 February 2008 in Am J Emerg Med, 26(2): 253.e1-2.
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