An Unusual Presentation of Type B Aortic Dissection as Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Complicated by Spinal and Renal Ischaemia Along With Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke, and Severe Stenosis in Obtuse Marginal Branch: A Therapeutic Dilemma

Aortic dissection (AD) is a catastrophic cardiovascular problem that can be challenging to diagnose sometimes. Despite diagnostic challenges, it requires a high degree of suspicion and prompt treatment is vital to its successful management. AD can be divided into type A aortic dissection (TAAD) and type B aortic dissection (TBAD). TAAD is characterised by dissection in the ascending aorta whereas TBAD does not have dissection in the ascending aorta. TBAD is usually managed conservatively, and patients receive medical therapy such as antihypertensive medications, analgesia, and rehabilitation. This, however, is complicated by malperfusion of certain organs, which can be life-threatening. Patients who have malperfusion of certain organs should be managed aggressively and endovascular aortic repair should be considered in such cases. We present a case of a 63-year-old patient who presented with out-of-hospital pulseless electrical activity cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated. An electrocardiogram showed new-onset atrial fibrillation with ST-segment depression and a coronary angiogram showed severe stenosis in the obtuse marginal branch of the left circumflex artery. A computed tomography scan of the thorax and abdomen showed TBAD with an occluded right renal artery and the patient was conservatively managed. The patient was discharged home after prolonged hospital admission and was conservatively managed for TBAD. This case was complicated by the fact that the patient had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and a coronary angiogram showed severe stenosis in the obtuse marginal branch of the left circumflex artery. The patient also had new-onset atrial fibrillation, which made his clinical management very challenging. It is important to avoid unnecessary coronary intervention that can create more challenges in managing such patients.