[Aortic dissecting aneurysms: clinical masks, differential diagnosis].

101 necropsies of aortic dissection (AD) made in 1991-2000 have been analysed. Among the deceased men prevailed (76.3%), 23(22.8%) of them were under 50 years of age. An accurate intravital diagnosis was made only in 40.6 patients. The most common clinical masks were the following: coronary, valvular, vascular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, thromboembolic, mediastinal, cerebral, renal and anemic. Most often AD masks as acute myocardial infarction. The knowledge of encountered clinical masks of AD promoted improvement of early AD diagnosis to correct AD surgically and reduce lethality.