A Case of Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection Complaining Only of Headache With a History of Migraine

Stanford type A aortic dissection (SAAD) is a fatal condition in which patients often present with severe chest or back pain that radiates along the direction of propagation. In this report, we present the first published case of a patient complaining of migraine with aura as an initial manifestation of SAAD without the typical chest pain, back pain, or neurologic deficits. A 35-year-old, tall, male, night-shift taxi driver with a history of migraines arrived at the emergency department complaining of a slow-onset frontal headache that he attributed to migraine. Intravenous acetaminophen administration with fluid infusion did not improve his symptoms. An electrocardiogram showed ST depressions and a transthoracic echocardiogram showed severe aortic regurgitation with an aortic flap. He was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome complicated by SAAD and underwent surgical aortic root replacement. Aortic dissection may have a variety of initial manifestations; cardiovascular workup should be considered for migraine patients, especially those with Marfan-like features.