Dissecting Aortic Aneurysm Wrongly Diagnosed Coronary Thrombosis

The development of a dissecting aneurysm of the aorta may simulate closely acute coronary occlusion. We are presenting herewith an interesting and instructive case in which we ourselves were in error, with a discussion of the differential diagnosis. Some ten years ago there spread through this country a sudden realization that coronary thrombosis with cardiac infarction was a common condition that could be diagnosed clinically. This was after more than a decade of surprising neglect of Herrick's1classic paper on the subject. Along with the dispersal of this knowledge there was then, as there has been since, much interest in the possibility of confusion of coronary thrombosis with some acute abdominal disease. Herrick himself and also quite early Levine and Tranter2called attention to this possible confusion. However, as a rule the distinction is an easy one to make if both conditions are borne in mind. The other