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. ‎