Extensive Painless Aortic Dissection in a Patient With Breast Cancer

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening cardiovascular emergency.
• Breast cancer patients may have unique risk factors or presentations.
• Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are increasingly used in cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an unusual case of type A aortic dissection.
• To explore the natural progression of this aortic condition.
• To investigate a potential association between TKI use and aortic dissection.

Main Methods:

• Case report.
• Incidental finding on echocardiogram.
• Literature review on TKI-associated aortic events.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with an incidentally discovered type A aortic dissection.
• The natural course of the dissection was observed.
• A review of existing literature on TKIs and aortic dissection was conducted.

Conclusions:

• Type A aortic dissection can present unusually, even incidentally.
• A potential association between tyrosine kinase inhibitors and aortic dissection warrants further investigation.
• This case underscores the importance of considering cardiovascular complications in cancer patients.