Type A aortic dissection associated with Dietzia maris

Abstract

Aortitis is a rare cause of aortic dissection. We report the unusual presentation of a 77-year-old male patient who underwent emergency surgery for an aortic dissection type A. A purulent pericardial fluid and inflammatory aorta were found after chest opening. Several samples were sent for analysis. The ascending aorta presented a mild dilatation with a large haematoma infiltrating the aortic root. The distal part of the ascending aorta seemed unaffected. The aortic rupture was found one centimetre above the non-coronary cusp. Aortic wall tissues were extremely fragile and with an inflammatory aspect. The patient died in the theatre room. In the histological study one out of three fragments of ascending aorta displayed longitudinal splitting of the outer media, with blood extravasation in the adventitial layer. In this level, the presence of a detritus material that reminded of bacterial colonies was noteworthy, together with abundant fibrinous exudates. In the laboratory a new specimen, Dietzia maris, was found in the pericardial liquid and in the aortic wall. We believe that this is the first reported finding of Dietzia maris in a patient with aortic disease. © 2006 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.