The authors should be acknowledged for presenting a very unusual case of acute aortic dissection mimicking an acute myocardial infarction.
This case report can be very useful to the practising physician, since it points out several crucial diagnostic points. First, a complete physical assessment as well as ‘simple’ examination tests should always be performed at arrival in ER in case of suspected acute myocardial infarction. Second, acute aortic dissection should always be considered a possible cause of acute myocardial ischemia. Third, a complete diagnostic work-up should be performed before administering potentially threatening drugs, such as i.v. IIb/IIIa glycoprotein inhibitors which may hardly be antagonized in case of emergency surgery.
Francesco Pelliccia
Reviewer