RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Loeys-Dietz syndrome: life threatening aortic dissection diagnosed on routine family screening JF BMJ Case Reports FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP bcr2013203063 DO 10.1136/bcr-2013-203063 VO 2014 A1 Claire A Martin A1 Virginia E Clowes A1 John P Cooper YR 2014 UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2014/bcr-2013-203063.abstract AB A 52-year-old man was found to have a severely dilated aortic root and a Stanford type A dissection on familial screening echocardiography, following diagnosis of a dilated aorta in his son. The dissection required urgent surgical repair. Clinical examination suggested features of Loeys-Dietz syndrome type II, and subsequent demonstration of a mutation in the TGFBR1 gene in the patient and his son confirmed the diagnosis. This article highlights the high prevalence of inherited conditions in dilated aortic root presentations and the importance of family screening and surveillance to allow early surgical intervention.