title: Congenital aortic regurgitation caused by absence of the right coronary cusp.
abstract: We describe a patient with congenital aortic regurgitation, well documented from the age of 1 month. Surgery was performed at the age of 7 years, when echocardiography showed progressive dilatation of the left ventricle with decreasing shortening fraction. Inspection of the valve during the operation showed a basically tricuspid valve, but with a rudimentary right coronary cusp. At histological examination, myxoid dysplasia was found in all the cusps. An aortic homograft was inserted and the left ventricular internal dimensions returned to normal within 3 months after the operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Cardiology, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Cromme-Dijkhuis
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Meuzelaar
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male