Aortic dissection

Aortic dissection is a tear of the aorta (the largest artery of the body). This tear causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and dissects the layers apart. Aortic dissection is an extremely serious medical emergency and can quickly lead to death.

Natural history

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Risk of death in untreated aortic dissection

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25% in first 24 hours

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50% in first week

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75% in first month

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90% in first year

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The risk of death is high in untreated aortic dissection. While the risk is highest in the first 24 hours of the event, those that survive the initial event still have an elevated mortality compared to age- and sex-matched controls.

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