Aortic dissection can have many unusual symptoms, including:
Neurological symptoms: Such as ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, transient global amnesia, ischemic neuropathy, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, spinal cord ischemia, and seizures
Syncope: Fainting
Dyspnea: Shortness of breath
Facial swelling: Mimicking superior vena cava obstruction
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage: Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract
Loss of pulses: In the extremities
Paresthesias: In the extremities
Aortic dissection can be difficult to detect, especially in young people. Symptoms can be vague and nonspecific, and may go unnoticed until the tear causes other symptoms.
Classic signs and symptoms of aortic dissection include: blood pressure discrepancies between the upper extremities, pulse deficits, and a diastolic murmur.
A combination of a detailed pain history, neurological findings, and physical examination features can alert clinicians to the possibility of a dissection.
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