Painless dissections of the aorta presenting as acute neurologic syndromes

We describe three patients who had painless dissections of the aorta which resulted in neurologic syndromes at the time of presentation. Two patients had acute hemimotor and sensory findings. In one of these cases progression to paraplegia occurred. In a third patient, acute weakness and ischemia of a leg occurred at presentation. We review previously described painless aortic dissections. Such aortic dissections may be suspected in the setting of an acute neurologic event by abnormalities in the examination of the peripheral pulses and the heart and by attention to characteristic chest x-ray changes.