aortic dissection

noun

: a pathological splitting of the middle layer (media) of the aorta following penetration of blood through the inner layer (intima)
Early symptoms of aortic dissection are similar to those of a heart attack: severe, persistent chest pain of sudden onset but with the pain moving to the back and occasionally to the abdomen and hips.Allen Douma, The Chicago Tribune
Aortic dissection classically begins with a tear in the aortic intima that exposes a diseased medial layer to the systemic pressure of intraluminal blood.Eric M. Isselbacher, in Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 22nd edition

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Cite this Entry

“Aortic dissection.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/aortic%20dissection. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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