Acute Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection Mimicking Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Hidden Catastrophe Which Should Prompt Greater Vigilance.

UNLABELLED: Stanford type A aortic dissection involving the coronary artery ostium and leading to a concomitant acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an infrequent but life-threatening condition, necessitating a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of this entity can be extremely challenging and misdiagnosis is sometimes unavoidable because it usually mimics a common AMI. Herein, we describe the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with severe retrosternal chest pain and dynamic ECG change which was initially misdiagnosed solely as an AMI. However, the patient was finally diagnosed to have a type A aortic dissection complicated by coronary artery involvement. Following emergent surgery treatment, the patient made a good recovery. KEY WORDS: Acute myocardial infarction; Aortic dissection; Coronary angiography.