Collapse, hoarseness of the voice and swelling and bruising of the neck: an unusual presentation of thoracic aortic dissection.

A 66 year old woman presented to the accident and emergency department with history of collapse, hoarseness of the voice, and swelling and bruising of the neck. The diagnosis was not initially obvious because of the absence of chest pain. The findings on the radiograph of the soft tissue of the neck and chest radiograph suggested the need for computed tomography of the neck and chest. This confirmed the cervical haematoma and typical signs of aortic dissection. This unusual presentation of thoracic aortic dissection is discussed below.