[Neurologic symptoms in acute thoracic aortic dissection--a case report]

Acute thoracic aortic dissection is a life-threatening illness. It is often difficult to diagnose preclinically due to its many possible symptoms. One out of three patients has neurological deficits. The prognosis depends on rapid diagnosis and immediate adequate therapy. Therefore, every emergency physician should know the signs and risk factors of this disease. The most important goals of prehospital therapy are management of pain and anxiety and pharmacological control of the systolic blood pressure and heart rate. We report on a 46-year-old female patient who developed neurological deficits caused by an acute thoracic aortic dissection.