Spondylolisthesis mimicking the progression of dissection in a case of chronic Stanford type B aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection is an acute lethal cardiovascular condition. A 67-year-old hypertensive woman was admitted to our Emergency Department with an abrupt onset of tearing pain in the interscapular area. A thoracic computed tomography scan with contrast showed chronic type B aortic dissection. The patient was transferred to intensive care and medical therapy was initiated. Upon spread of the pain to the lumbar area, the dissection was thought to have progressed. The patient, being hemodynamically stable, was examined using ultrasonography, and the dissection did not show any progression. In the neurological examination for the lumbar pain, the lumbar processus spinosus was found to be sensitive, and the sciatic nerve stretch test was positive at 30 degrees. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed spondylolisthesis and a centrally located disc herniation at the L3-4 level. No operation for the dissection was planned, but discectomy and fusion surgery was scheduled. Since the patient refused surgery, she was discharged with medical therapy. Our aim in this report was to emphasize the importance of spondylolisthesis mimicking the progression of dissection in the differential diagnosis of a chronic type B aortic dissection case.

Acute cardiac tamponade due to spontaneous bleeding in a child with haemophilia A.

In severe haemophilia A, patients, start from the first years of life, with spontaneous bleeding and require transfusion. However, cardiac tamponade due to spontaneous pericardial bleeding is rare. An 11-year-old boy receiving haemophilia A treatment was referred to the Department of Paediatric Haematology with pneumonia, fever, dyspnoea, and palpitation. In his PA chest radiograph, pneumonic infiltration in the right lung and enlargement in the pericardial area were found. On his echocardiograph, pericardial effusion reaching 3.9 cm and other findings of tamponade were detected. APTT was outside the measurable range. It was deranged to > 120 seconds. The patient received 1000 U of factor VIII intravenously. A pericardial window was made via left anterior mini thoracotomy due to fluid drained. In his control echocardiograph taken after one month, no pathology was found. At 50th day, the patient showed left pleural serohaemorrhagic effusion, which was treated with tube thoracostomy. In haemophilia A patients, either pericardiocentesis or subxiphoid pericardial drainage or pericardial window creation via thoracotomy may be applied, depending on the primary pathology. In paediatric cases, pericardial window creation via mini thoracotomy can be an alternative treatment of choice considering complications such as recurring bleeding and effusion during pericardiocentesis.