Acute aortic syndrome
Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a clinical syndrome caused by one of three life-threatening aortic pathologies which all have similar clinical features. These are:
- Aortic dissection (70-80% of cases)
- Aortic intramural haemotoma
- Penetratic aortic ulcer
Patients usually present with severe chest pain that has a tearing character. There is often hypertension.