OBJECTIVES The unreinforced aortic root, in bicuspid aortic valve disease, has been shown to dilate and cause recurrent regurgitation. The objective of this study was to determine whether reduction aortoplasty can reliably prevent aortic root dilatation after aortic valve repair in bicuspid disease. METHODS A total of 66 patients, with a mean age of 41.2±12 years and with incompetent bicuspid...

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to simulate the effect of different bicuspid aortic valve configurations on the dynamic pressure distribution in the ascending aorta. METHODS Aortic specimens were harvested from adult domestic pigs. In Group 1, bicuspidalization was created by a running suture between the left and the right coronary leaflets (n = 6) and in Group 2 by a running suture betwe...

Background The morphology of the aortic valve is of increasing importance in the evaluation of patients with calcific aortic stenosis (AS). The finding of a bicuspid valve can influence the suitability for transcutaneous aortic valve implantation, the attention paid to the proximal aorta, and consideration of family screening. More recent work has also suggested that the type of bicuspid valve ...

We appreciate the interest of Dr Heidrich and his colleagues in our recent report. We agree overall with their comments, and we think that, until large retrospective or perspective studies clarify this issue, bicuspid aortic valve as opposed to tricuspid aortic valve should be a relative contraindication to percutaneous device closure of atrial septal defects because of the high risk of aortic ...

Forty-one patients in whom the diagnosis of a non-stenotic bicuspid aortic valve had been established by noninvasive techniques were followed up for a mean of 10.9 years. During this period, 2 patients required aortic valve replacement because of the development of calcific aortic valve stenosis at the ages of 52 and 64 and 5 others developed evidence of mild aortic valve stenosis. The appearan...

Acute aortic dissection is typically seen in the middle aged and elderly population, the majority of the cases are related to systemic hypertension and atherogenic process. In contrast, aortic dissection-related deaths in the young are rare and are mainly associated with genetically based disorders and congenital cardiac anomalies. One of the most recognized congenital risk factors that predisp...

In diagnosing MS, even though investigators recently identified a defective FBN 1 gene as cause of this hereditary condition, employing a genetic test a sa diagnostic tool is not partical in the near future (3). This is because of the extreme variability in the FBN 1 gene on chromosome 15. It has been shown (1) that transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides rapid diagnostic information in...

Background Altered aortic hemodynamics associated with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have been implicated in the development of aortopathy in patients with congenitally altered valves[1]. Most studies have focused on the most common “right-left” bicuspid aortic valve (RL-BAV) fusion pattern [2]. This study assessed the effects of valve morphology on aortic 3D blood flow in cohorts with the most c...

A 64-year-old man was admitted with unstable angina pectoris. He had been followed-up at outpatient clinics for mild to moderate aortic regurgitation and bicuspid aortic valve. He developed complete atrioventricular block (AVB) and underwent permanent pacemaker implantation 9 years previously. Cardiac catheterization showed severe stenosis at the left main trunk, as well as unexpected unrupture...

Bicuspid aortic valve disease is the most common congenital heart defect, affecting 1% to 2% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in males (Hoffman & Kaplan, 2002; Movahed et al., 2006). Quite often, the diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve disease is an incidental finding during an echocardiogram. However, the disease may be associated with significant valvular dysfunction and lea...