Background: Acute ischemic stroke secondary to aortic dissection (AoD) is challenging in the era of thrombolysis owing to the diagnostic difficulty within a narrow time window and the high risk of complications.
Case report: A 64-year-old woman with middle cerebral artery occlusion syndrome admitted to the emergency room within intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) time window. Her neurological symptoms improved during thrombolysis, but chest and abdominal pain developed. Repeated history-taking, physical examination, and imaging studies led to the timely diagnosis and surgical treatment of AoD, which produced a successful outcome.
Conclusions: Clinical suspicion is invaluable for the diagnosis of this rare cause of stroke. Considering the stroke mechanism and complications, the risks of thrombolysis might outweigh its benefits.
Keywords: aortic dissection; ischemic stroke; recombinant tissue plasminogen activator; thrombolysis.