Spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta.

BACKGROUND

Nontraumatic, spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta is rare and the etiology is largely unknown.

METHODS

We reviewed seven patients from our institution, with no known aortic disease or hereditary connective tissue disorder that presented with spontaneous ascending aortic rupture from 2012 to 2017.

RESULTS

Most patients presented with non-radiating chest pain along with hypertension (71.4%). The mean ascending aortic diameter at rupture was 4.60 ± 0.62 cm. The median door-to-operating room time was 2.58 h, resulting from effective implementation of an aortic emergency protocol. There were no operative mortalities.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with ascending aortic rupture, aortic diameter may not always correlate with the risk of rupture. Rapid diagnosis combined with a multidisciplinary approach is vital for the successful management of these high-risk patients.