Painless limited dissection of the ascending aorta presenting with aortic valve regurgitation

Aortic dissection is a medical emergency carrying high morbidity and mortality. prompt diagnosis is sometimes difficult because of its varying presentations, but it is critical to the achievement of good clinical outcomes. This report describes 2 cases of painless aortic dissection that presented with aortic valve regurgitation. In both, the dissection was limited to the ascending aorta just distal to the aortic valve. These dissections were diagnosed by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. (Am J Emerg Med 1444;17:700-701. Copyright (C) 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company).