Successful treatment of aortic dissection with pulmonary embolism: A case report

BACKGROUND Aortic dissection (AD) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are both life-threatening disorders. Because of their conflicting treatments, treatment becomes difficult when they occur together, and there is no standard treatment protocol. CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old man fell down the stairs due to syncope and was brought to our hospital as a confused and irritable patient who was uncooperative during the physical examination. Further examination of the head, chest and abdomen by computed tomography revealed a subdural hemorrhage, multiple rib fractures, a hemopneumothorax and a renal hematoma. He was admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit and given a combination of oxygen therapy, external rib fixation, analgesia and enteral nutrition. The patient regained consciousness after 2 wk but complained of abdominal pain and dyspnea with an arterial partial pressure of oxygen of 8.66 kPa. Computed tomography angiograms confirmed that he had both AD and PE. We subsequently performed only nonsurgical treatment, including nasal high-flow oxygen therapy, nonsteroidal analgesia, amlodipine for blood pressure control, beta-blockers for heart rate control. Eight weeks after admission, the patient improved and was discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSION Patients with AD should be alerted to the possibility of a combined PE, the development of which may be associated with aortic compression. In patients with type B AD combined with low-risk PE, a nonsurgical, nonanticoagulant treatment regimen may be feasible.