Manifestaciones neurológicas de la disección aórtica

Objective: To recognize the neurological manifestations of the aortic dissection (AD), an infrequent cardiovascular disease but potentially serious which is commonly underdiagnosed in the daily clinical practice. Development: The AD begins as a tear of the intimae, most commonly in the ascending aorta, followed by the formation of a false lumen in the media layer of the arterial wall. Beside of the inherent damage to the cardiovascular system, the neurological symptoms are observed in approximately 18 to 30% of the patients. Neurological complications can occur as a cerebral infarctions, spinal cord ischemia, peripheral nerve ischemia and those that results from the directly compression of the dissection. The main factor that determine the neurological symptoms depend from the site of the lesion. Conclusions: Neurological complications in the AD are the principal cause of mortality and disability, indeed that opportune diagnosis and treatment are essentials to impact in the favorable evolution of the patients.