Spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta.

BACKGROUND: Nontraumatic, spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta is rare and the etiology is largely unknown. METHODS: We reviewed seven patients from our institution, with no known aortic disease or hereditary connective tissue disorder that presented with spontaneous ascending aortic rupture from 2012 to 2017. RESULTS: Most patients presented with non-radiating chest pain along with hypertension (71.4%). The mean ascending aortic diameter at rupture was 4.60 ± 0.62 cm. The median door-to-operating room time was 2.58 h, resulting from effective implementation of an aortic emergency protocol. There were no operative mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ascending aortic rupture, aortic diameter may not always correlate with the risk of rupture. Rapid diagnosis combined with a multidisciplinary approach is vital for the successful management of these high-risk patients.