title: Acute aortic regurgitation with congestive heart failure due to bacterial endocarditis: diagnosed by echocardiogram and treated successfully by surgery (a case report).
abstract: A 23-year-old Japanese male with no evidence of previous heart disease was presented with bicuspid aortic valve and a life threatening acute aortic regurgitation due to subacute bacterial endocarditis. By echocardiographic techniques, a precise diagnosis was made based on the following findings: 1) premature mitral valve closure, 2) snowfall-like echoes between the systolic aortic cusps, 3) eccentricity of a diastolic aortic valvular echo. The echocardiographic diagnosis was confirmed on surgery, in which aortic valve replacement was performed with satisfactory postoperative results.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D004698:Endocarditis, Subacute Bacterial / Q000150:complications*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male