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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Comprehensive Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta
Published on: September 8, 2023
Ruptured penetrating ulcer of the ascending aorta with pulmonary artery compression
Ngozichukwuka Okiwelu1, Chris Finn2, Rohan Vanden Driesen2
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia nokiwelu@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Pulmonary artery involvement has been reported in various degrees of complicated dissection of the ascending aorta. The prognosis remains poor without high-risk surgical intervention, but conservative management can be considered in high-risk cases. We report a case of nonoperative management of an octogenarian who presented with a contained rupture of his proximal ascending aorta, likely from a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer. It was complicated by extrinsic compression of the pulmonary trunk and transient pulmonary hypertension without features of acute right heart failure. He remained alive at the one-year follow-up.
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