Intramurally spreading aortic intimal sarcoma masquerading as ruptured aortic dissection

Abstract

Preoperative diagnosis of aortic sarcomas is often difficult. Herein, we describe a case of a 68-year-old man who had an aortic intimal sarcoma with aortic wall hypertrophy that masqueraded as a thrombosed aortic dissection or mural thrombus on computed tomography. Because of the sudden appearance and rapid growth of the tumour surrounding the left subclavian artery with precordial pain and haemosputum, left subclavian arterial rupture caused by aortic dissection was suspected, requiring emergent total arch replacement. Surgery revealed an intimal sarcoma, not an aortic dissection, with the thickening of the fragile intima spreading into the aorta. Thus, an intramurally spreading aortic intimal sarcoma should be suspected when computed tomography reveals an irregular thickening of the aortic intima.