Patient Data
Aortic dissection originating distal to the left subclavian artery and ending at the aortic bifurcation, thoracic descending aorta dilated up to 52 mm. All abdominal arteries arise from the true lumen.
Enlarged postpartum uterus.
Inguinal, groin, and vulvar varices, some of which appear thrombosed.
Concentrated contrast material in the collecting system due to CTA head and neck done 1.5 hours earlier.
Case Discussion
Grand multiparity (G14P11AB3), 12th birth. Severe hypertension after an uneventful cesarean section, accompanied by a headache and mild blurring of vision. No other heralding sign of eclampsia, no sign of HELLP syndrome.
CT head and CTA head and neck (not shown) were normal.
CTA chest-abdomen-pelvis showed a Stanford type B aortic dissection.
Prenatal and postpartum (i.e. 1-42 days after delivery) aortic dissection comprises ~50% of all cases of aortic dissection in women of child-bearing age, of which 20% are postpartum 1.