Acute Type-A dissection in a 15-year-old Australian indigenous male – a case report

Acute Type-A Aortic Dissection is a rare but life-threatening surgical emergency in children and adolescents. Large series report up to 3.5% of cases under the age of 21 with many of these cases with known predisposing risk factors. Risk factors include congenital cardiovascular disorders, connective tissue disorders, hypertension, inflammatory aortic weakening and iatrogenic, pregnancy or trauma. Cases with no obvious predisposing risk factors are exceedingly rare with very few cases described in a limited number of studies.