Aortic aneurism dissection in an adult patient with tuberculosis infected with HIV-1 during immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

Abstract

We here report the case of a 35-year old man with HIV-1 but with no previous medical-surgical history hospitalized in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, due to fever, cough, dyspnea, chest pain and unfolding of the aortic arch observed on chest x-ray a week after having started antiretroviral therapy (ART). CT angiography of the thoracic aorta showed overall, extended aortic ectasia with mural thrombus. Transesophageal echocardiography objectified type A ascending aortic dissection (Stanford classification). The diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed based on Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture isolation. Eight years after, the patient was still alive without surgical treatment and complained of intermittent chest pain. Blood pressure was stable with moderate renal failure. We here report a rare case of aortic aneurism dissection in an adult patient with tuberculosis infected with HIV-1 during immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.