Aortic dissection in a young woman with Turner's syndrome.

Abstract

Aortic dissection is an extremely rare occurrence often associated with fatal consequences. Among women suffering from Turner's syndrome, a mosaic of cardiovascular anomalies, some congenital, are often reported. Among these abnormalities, the conjunction of dilatation of the aorta with hypertension may lead to aortic dissection. A high level of clinical follow-up is necessary on a lifetime basis in order to diagnose such patients on time, which will allow preventive surgical intervention. Successive echocardiographic surveillance of these patients is recommended in addition to aggressive antihypertensive therapy in order to minimize potential morbidity and mortality as much as possible. If aortic dissection is diagnosed on time, surgical intervention can be lifesaving. In this communication, we report on a patient whose diagnosis was missed and consequently expired due to severe aortic dissection.