Left hemorrhagic pleural effusion was the presenting sign of painless
aortic dissecting aneurysm in two elderly hypertensive patients. Compu
ted tomography (CT) of the chest revealed the aneurysmal dilatation of
the thoracic aorta and an intimal nap connecting its descending part
with the left pleural space. The patients were treated conservatively
with blood transfusions and drugs directed to control blood pressure.
The first reported 71-year-old patient remains in stable condition for
16 months without evidence of recurrent active aortic dissection. The
second 85-year-old patient remained in stable condition for 28 days,
but finally had a second fatal episode of dissection into the left ple
ural space. The differential diagnosis of nontraumatic left hemorrhagi
c pleural effusion in an elderly hypertensive patient should include d
issecting aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta and CT of the ches
t should be performed as the next preferable diagnostic procedure.