Problem of Diagnosis of Acute Aortic Dissection in the Early Phase.

51 consecutive patients (31 men, 20 women, average age 69 years) diagnosed with acute aortic dissection at the emergency room or referred without diagnosis between January 1994 and December 1998. 23 had Stanford type A and 28 had Stanford type B.

Time required for diagnosis from hospital arrival (categorized as <1 hour, 1-4 hours, and >4 hours)