Tag Archives: thoracic surgery

Introduction Timely corrective surgery for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) reduces the risk of limiting symptoms and irreversible left ventricular dysfunction.1,2 Left untreated, severe MR carries a poor prognosis. In asymptomatic patients, the estimated five-year rates of death from any cause, death from cardiac causes and adverse cardiac events (death, heart failure or new atrial fibrillation), are 22%, 14% and 33%, respectively.2 The prognosis for symptomatic patients is significantly worse, and further adversely affected by older age and comorbidities, including atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, left atrial dilatation, and re

Introduction Figure 1. Transthoracic echocardiogram appearance of quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital anomaly1 that can present as aortic insufficiency requiring treatment in later life. We present a case of aortic regurgitation (AR) associated with a QAV, managed by aortic valve replacement and review the literature surrounding this unusual presentation. Case presentation Figure 2. Cardiac magnetic resonance appearance of QAV A 65-year-old Caucasian woman was referred with progressive effort-related breathlessness for treatment of longstanding AR. She presented with mild bipedal oedema, a regu