Aortic dissection diagnosis

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Diagnosis
In a study by Spittell et.al. at the Mayo, the initial clinical impression of dissection (after history, physical, chest x-ray and echocardiography) was made in 62% of patients. A correct diagnosis was more commonly made in patients with type I or type II dissections. The differential is quite broad and depends upon the location of dissection, aortic root / coronary involvement, and obstruction of aortic or aortic branch blood flow.

Acknowledgements
The content on this page was first contributed by: David Feller-Kopman, MD and C. Michael Gibson M.S., M.D.