Ruptured giant aneurysm of the ascending aorta caused by chronic aortic dissection.

A 55-year-old man developed acute chest pain and dyspnea. Computed tomography demonstrated a rupture of a giant aneurysm of the ascending aorta. The lesion was 14 cm in diameter--the largest ever reported-and resulted from chronic aortic dissection. The patient did not have aortic insufficiency or aortic dissection around the coronary ostium. Graft replacement of the ascending aorta was performed successfully under deep hypothermia with right hemisphere perfusion.