Aortic Dissection Presenting as Crossed Hemiparesis

• DOI: 10.1097/nrl.0b013e3181be6c2e
• Publication Date: 2010-03-05T06:51:18Z
• Authors: Slaven Pikija; Danijel Cvetko; Ruža Kostanjevec; Siniša Car
• Keywords: Diagnosis, Differential; Paresis; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Angiography; Aortic Diseases; Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Acute stroke; Aortic dissection; Computerized tomographic angiography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Aortic dissection is frequently associated with ischemic stroke; however, a high clinical suspicion is necessary when the presentation is atypical.We present the atypical clinical picture of De Bakey type I (Stanford A) aortic dissection which presented as crossed hemiparesis in a 52-year-old previously healthy woman.This case emphasizes the need for assessing pulsations of peripheral arteries on both arms and both legs in the context of acute stroke as this could lead to the diagnosis of acute aortic dissection.