Key result
A 38-year-old man presenting with acute lower-back pain and one leg numbness was diagnosed with acute Type A aortic dissection and treated promptly without major adverse sequelae.
Case Report (n=1)
Acute aortic dissection can present atypically with acute lower-back pain and neurological symptoms, necessitating high clinical suspicion in the emergency department.
May warrant considering aortic dissection in atypical back pain with neurology; extends recognized presentations but leaves broader applicability open.
Aortic dissection (AoD) is one of the most common catastrophes involving the aorta. Nevertheless, early diagnosis remains to be a challenge in the emergency department (ED), particularly in young individuals. The diagnosis of acute AoD is often delayed secondarily to its propensity to masquerade as other illnesses (i.e., renal colic, spinal-cord injury, and acute cauda equina syndrome) that result in acute lower-back pain (LBP). Here, we report a 38-year-old man who presented to our ED because of acute LBP with one leg numbness and weakness. It was subsequently found to have acute Type A AoD. This young man was diagnosed early in the ED and treated promptly without major adverse sequelae. We highlight that ED physicians should always keep high alertness in vascular emergencies (i.e., acute AoD), whilst engaging a patient with an acute-onset severe LBP with one leg numbness and weakness.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hsu et al. (2014) conducted a case report in Acute Type A aortic dissection (n=1). A 38-year-old man presenting with acute lower-back pain and one leg numbness was diagnosed with acute Type A aortic dissection and treated promptly without major adverse sequelae.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: