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Heart 2009;95:1130-1139 doi:10.1136/hrt.2008.153650
  • Review

Acute aortic syndrome: a new look at an old conundrum

  1. I Vilacosta1,
  2. P Aragoncillo2,
  3. V Cañadas1,
  4. J A San Román3,
  5. J Ferreirós4,
  6. E Rodríguez5
  1. 1
    Instituto Cardiovascular, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
  2. 2
    Servicio de Anatomía patológica, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
  3. 3
    Instituto de las Ciencias del Corazón, Hospital Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
  4. 4
    Servicio de Radiología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
  5. 5
    Instituto Cardiovascular, Servicio de Cirugía Cardiaca, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
  1. Dr I Vilacosta, Deparment of Cardiology, C/Profesor Martin Lagos sn, 28040 Madrid, Spain; ivilac{at}medynet.com
  • Accepted 11 December 2008
  • Published Online First 8 January 2009

Abstract

The term acute aortic syndrome (AAS), coined several years ago, is now widely recognised. In the light of new findings in aortic pathology and in an era when modern imaging techniques are widely available and interventional management of AAS is increasing, some morphological and diagnostic aspects of acute aortic pathology have been examined and the syndrome updated. This article provides a new, comprehensive overview of the pathology, diagnosis, evolution and management of patients with AAS. As acute aortic disease is the most common fatal condition in patients with chest pain, prompt recognition and treatment is of paramount importance.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

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