Aortic dissection causes

Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Causes of aortic dissection
The exact cause is unknown, but risks include atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and high blood pressure. Traumatic injury is a major cause of aortic dissection, especially blunt trauma to the chest. Hitting the steering wheel of a car during an accident is a common traumatic cause.

Other risk factors and conditions associated with the development of aortic dissection include:


 * Aging
 * Bicuspid aortic valve
 * Coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta
 * Connective tissue disorders
 * Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
 * Heart surgery or procedures
 * Marfan syndrome
 * Pregnancy
 * Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
 * Vascular inflammation due to conditions such as arteritis and syphilis

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