Professional parachuting: The risk of acute aortic dissection

Abstract

Acute aortic dissection is a rare disease, but if it occurs rapid diagnosis and therapy are needed. It is usually seen in elderly patients with long-term persistent arterial hypertension. In younger patients, it is mainly caused by congenital connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, or by trauma. We present here a 34-year-old male patient with an acute type A aortic dissection. This patient was a professional parachutist and had carried out a large number of parachute jumps during his lifetime. He was admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain. The symptoms were not related in time to a parachute jump. During a computed tomography scan, an aortic dissection was diagnosed. The patient was immediately referred to the operating room, and the ascending aorta was replaced by a conduit. After a regular postoperative course, the patient was discharged and recovered completely. Although acute aortic dissection is rare in young patients, it has to be considered in cases of acute chest pain. An immediate diagnosis and adequate therapy are essential to offer the patient a good clinical outcome and long-term survival. © 2011 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.