Aortic Dissection in a Young Woman: A Painless Presentation With Stroke-Like Symptoms and Horner's Syndrome

Blake Edwards1, Anita M Medepalli2, Muhammad Khan3

  • 1Internal Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, USA.

Cureus
|July 14, 2025
PubMed

Aortic dissection is a rare cardiovascular emergency that can present atypically, complicating diagnosis and management. We report the case of a woman in her 30s with Stanford Type A aortic dissection, presenting with stroke-like symptoms and Horner's syndrome without chest pain. Initial management focused on her neurological deficits, delaying the diagnosis. Bedside echocardiography and confirmatory imaging ultimately revealed an extensive dissection. Despite medical management, the patient succumbed to her condition. This case underscores the importance of recognizing atypical presentations of aortic dissection to enable timely diagnosis and improve outcomes.

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