We report the successful management and 2 year follow up of a young patient with Q fever endocarditis on a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve complicated by extensive abscess formation in the aortic valve ring and interventricular septum. Aortic root abscess formation complicating Q fever endocarditis has been reported in only one previous patient. Serological tests may thus be indicated in pat...

Background Bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAV) is associated with dilatation of the proximal aorta and abnormal flow patterns, particularly increased helical flow and changes in the aortic wall shear stress. These altered flow patterns may be partly responsible for the aortic dilation, though the aetiology is still unclear. Aortic valve replacement can modify the flow pattern in the proximal ao...

Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital aortic valve abnormality. It is less common as compared to bicuspid or unicuspid aortic valve abnormality. QAV causes aortic regurgitation usually in the fifth to sixth decade of life. We present a rare case of a female patient with cryptogenic stroke due to a QAV and a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The patient underwent transcatheter closure o...

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a chronic disorder characterized by an abnormal mineralization of the leaflets, which is accelerated in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). It is suspected that mechanical strain may promote/enhance mineralization of the aortic valve. However, the effect of mechanical strain and the involved pathways during mineralization of the aortic valve remains largely unkn...

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) represents the most common cardiac congenital malformation in the adult age, with strong male predominance. It may occur in isolation, or in association with other congenital heart diseases. The BAV is seen in 1% to 2% of the population and may be complicated by aortic stenosis or aortic insufficiency and infective endocarditis. It may be associated with abnormalitie...

Aortic valve calcification is a significant and serious clinical problem for which there are no effective medical treatments. Individuals born with bicuspid aortic valves, 1-2% of the population, are at the highest risk of developing aortic valve calcification. Aortic valve calcification involves increased expression of calcification and inflammatory genes. Bicuspid aortic valve leaflets experi...

Patients who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement could come to attention for new onset aortic disease or progression of borderline alterations not corrected at the first operation, especially in the subset of bicuspid valve disease. We describe our technique in redo operations for aortic root disease, using only a vascular graft and sparing the previously implanted valve prosthesis. In ...