Unusual complication of late presentation deceleration aortic injury.

A 50-year-old patient presented with a stroke. An ascending aortic mass noted by computed tomography was attached to the aortic wall and was found to be thrombus at surgery. Pathologic examination revealed an intraluminal thrombus attached to a focal segment of intimal fragmentation. Sectioning of the aortic wall revealed what were findings consistent with what would be noted with a previously unrecognized traumatic ascending aortic deceleration injury. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a late presentation of deceleration aortic injury, presenting with a thrombus within the ascending aorta.