Painless limited dissection of the ascending aorta presenting with aortic valve regurgitation

Aortic dissection is a medical emergency carrying high morbidity and mortal ity. prompt diagnosis is sometimes difficult because of its varying present ations, but it is critical to the achievement of good clinical outcomes. Th is report describes 2 cases of painless aortic dissection that presented wi th aortic valve regurgitation. In both, the dissection was limited to the a scending aorta just distal to the aortic valve. These dissections were diag nosed by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. (Am J Emerg Me d 1444;17:700-701. Copyright (C) 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company).