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A spectrum of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm—From the young to the old
Author(s) -
McGregor PeiChun,
Temtanakitpaisan Yutthapong,
Hiltbolt Aimee,
Aragam Jayashri R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
echocardiography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1540-8175
pISSN - 0742-2822
DOI - 10.1111/echo.13655
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , medicine , aneurysm , sinus (botany) , radiology , broad spectrum , cardiology , chemistry , botany , biology , combinatorial chemistry , genus
Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm ( SVA ) is a rare but potentially serious condition. Proper and timely diagnosis is crucial to the outcome of patients, particularly when rupture has occurred. Echocardiography is often the initial diagnostic imaging modality of choice as it is ubiquitous, relatively inexpensive, and without need for radiation or iodinated contrast administration. There are several congenital abnormalities that can appear similar to SVA on echocardiography, making the diagnosis challenging especially if providers are unfamiliar with these conditions. Here, we present a case series of three patients with SVA , representing a wide spectrum ranging from a young man presenting with acute rupture and decompensated heart failure to an elderly asymptomatic male with an incidental unruptured aneurysm. We will also present a brief literature overview and our approach to differentiating SVA from other congenital abnormalities on echocardiography.