Dissecting aortic aneurysm manifested as fever of unknown origin

A patient with a dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta had fever of unknown origin. Although his clinical picture included a number of classical features of his disorder, these were initially misinterpreted, largely because fever was the patient's chief complaint. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes sequestered within the aortic hemagen as they disintegrated. This case emphasizes the protean nature of the dissecting aortic aneurysm, adding yet another distinct clinical manifestation, fever of unknown origin, with which it may be associated.