Acute aortic dissection and stroke in multivessel fibromuscular dysplasia

Fibromuscular dysplasia is a rare, nonatherosclerotic, noninflammatory vascular disease that typically affects women between the ages of 20 and 60 years. Although any artery can be affected, fibromuscular dysplasia most commonly affects the renal and carotid arteries. Fibromuscular dysplasia of the renal arteries usually presents with hypertension, while carotid or vertebral artery disease causes transient ischemic attacks, strokes, or dissection. Fibromuscular dysplasia of the brachial arteries is extremely uncommon. It can induce extremity ischemia, nerve compression, or both-causing coldness, discoloration, pain, ulceration or gangrene of the fingers, paresthesias, or paralysis. We report a rare case of multivessel fibromuscular dysplasia manifested by acute stroke in association with type I aortic dissection, which progressed rapidly to ascending aortic false aneurysmal development that necessitated arch replacement. Outcomes of aortic arch replacement in this setting are currently unknown. Therefore, our case might well offer some insight.