[Dissecting aortic aneurysm]

Twenty cases with aortic dissecting aneurysm (ADA) are presented, at an average age of 52.5 (from 14 to 75), 15 of them males and 5--females. Nineteen had acute form of the disease and 1--chronic. Etiology, clinical picture, diagnostic approach and treatment were analyzed. Pain as leading symptom was present in all patients with various intensity and predominantly antero-thoracal localization. Seventeen of the patients (70%) were in shock at admittance. Pulse asymmetry was established in 8 (40%) and in 4, out of 12 cases (33%) with ADA, complicated by cardiac tamponade, a freshly appeared diastolic murmur was present. Enlarged aortic shadow at X-ray investigation had 14 (70%) of the patients with a dynamics of the enlargement in 5 patients. The disease has been clinically diagnosed in 19 (95) of the patients. Five out of 20 patients underwent operation, two of them followed for two years after the surgical treatment. Only one patient out of the non-operated 15 patients, survived. The modes of therapeutic behaviour are discussed on the base of the authors' experience and literature data.