Painless aortic dissection masquerading as brainstem stroke with catastrophic anticoagulant use.

Painless aortic dissection with only focal neurological symptoms and signs can be a great challenge to the emergency physician. Inadvertently and erroneous treatment of stroke may threaten patient's life. We present a patient with painless aortic dissection (DeBakey I), which was initially misdiagnosed as brainstem stroke with catastrophic anticoagulant use. Finally, the patient died of multiorgan failure after surgical intervention.