Papers of the Week

Penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) is ulceration of an aortic atherosclerotic plaque penetrating through the internal lamina into the media. PAU is a rare condition and occurs in 2% – 7% of acute aortic syndromes (AAS); however, the actual incidence is unknown because of asymptomatic patients. One may treat it conservatively as well as surgically. We present a case of a 54-year-old man, who was admitted to hospital due to the exaggeration of exertional chest pain and persistent headaches. During coronary angiography, the suspicion of PAU was raised. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis. Transesophageal echocardiography showed bicuspid aortic valve with minimal calcification, the dilated ascending aorta, large atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic arch with ulceration (thickness: 5.0 – 5.5mm, diameter: 5 – 6 mm, depth: 3 – 4 mm), without intramural hematoma. Conservative treatment was chosen with uneventful 2-year follow-up. Although surgical management is advocated for patients with PAU type A, we demonstrated that type A PAU can be successfully treated conservatively as well.