Acute aortic dissection provoked by sneeze: a case report

Abstract

The response of the abdominal viscera and the contraction of the intercostal muscles during the respiratory phase of sneezing increases intrathoracic pressure, which may lead to several complications. However, there are no reports in the literature concerning aortic dissection after sneezing. We report a patient in whom the development of dissection was secondary to sneezing, although hypertension was present as a risk factor, and we discuss the relationship between sneezing and aortic dissection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of aortic dissection provoked by sneezing in the literature.