Acute and chronic aortic dissection.

Each year acute aortic dissection is diagnosed in 2,000 individuals in the United States. Acute aortic dissection is no longer a catastrophic event because this problem can be rapidly diagnosed with current medical technology, and therefore promptly treated with medication and surgery. Consequently, patients with aortic dissection can survive for 10 to 20 or more years after the initial event. However, there is considerable current debate regarding the most optimal technique(s) for the diagnosis of aortic dissection. Moreover, little information is available on the best methods for the long-term assessment and treatment of patients who have been successfully treated for acute aortic dissection. This report reviews the current techniques that are available for the diagnosis of aortic dissection and discusses the important issues regarding the acute and long-term treatment of patients with this problem.