Painless acute aortic dissection and rupture presenting as syncope

Acute aortic dissection is an emergency that may not only cause significant morbidity but often results in death. A timely diagnosis can prove difficult in the event of an atypical presentation. Classically, aortic dissection presents as sudden, severe chest, back, or abdominal pain that is characterized as ripping or tearing in nature. This article reports on a case of a completely painless acute dissection and rupture in a middle-aged man who presented with syncope. The diagnosis was made by a combination of clinical suspicion, emergent bedside echocardiography, and computed tomography scan. This patient underwent immediate surgery, and ultimately had a successful outcome.