Neurological symptoms in a case of acute aortic dissection

Painless aortic dissection presenting with multisystem organ failure and owl’s eyes sign of the spinal cord

“…Presentation with multisystem organ involvement has been reported previously3 but is uncommon. Second, an ‘owl’s eyes’ sign may be seen with acute aortic dissection 1. Its presence in our patient’s case reflects infarction from a severe disruption of anterior blood flow to the spinal cord—the result of a profound dissection of the proximal thoracic aorta.…”

“…The ‘owl’s eyes’ sign is typically associated with spinal cord ischaemia and infarction 1. An axial cut from level T11 (figure 1) shows the sign well, with two enhancing, well-circumscribed, circular areas in the anterior horns of the spinal cord that resemble the two glowing eyes of an owl.…”