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Aortic dissection - Symptom

Alternative Names

Aortic aneurysm - dissecting

Symptoms:

The symptoms usually begin suddenly, and include severe chest pain. The pain may:

  • Be described as sharp, stabbing, tearing, or ripping
  • Be felt below the chest bone, then moves under the shoulder blades or to the back
  • Move to shoulder, neck, arm, jaw, abdomen, or hips
  • Change position -- pain typically moves to the arms and legs as the aortic dissection gets worse

Other symptoms may include:

Signs and tests:

The health care provider will listen to your heart, lungs, and abdomen with a stethoscope. A "blowing" murmur over the aorta, a heart murmur, or other abnormal sound may be heard.

There may be a difference in blood pressure between the right and left arms, or between the arms and the legs.

There may be low blood pressure, bulging neck veins, or signs resembling a heart attack. There may be signs of shock, but with normal blood pressure.

Aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm may be seen on:

  • Reviewed last on: 5/12/2008
  • Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review provided byVeriMed Healthcare Network.