Acute aortic dissection during pregnancy

Abstract

Acute aortic dissection is one of the most dreaded clinical conditions during pregnancy. Difficulties in establishing a diagnosis and limitations regarding invasive studies increase mortality rates associated with the disease. The limited experience reported in the literature does not allow the determination of guidelines for clinical and/or surgical management of aortic dissection in pregnancy. The authors present a case of acute aortic dissection in a woman in her 33rd week of gestation and discuss the diagnostic approach considering the peculiarities of the diseases manifestation.