Chest pain while gardening: a Stanford type A dissection involving the aortic root extending into the iliac arteries-an uncommon and potentially catastrophic disease process.

Background: An aortic dissection is an uncommon and potentially catastrophic disease process that carries with it a high morbidity and mortality. The inciting event is a tear in the intimal lining of the aorta. This allows passage of blood through the tear and into the aortic media, resulting in the creation of a false lumen.