title: The mechanism of the obstruction in calcific aortic stenosis with bicuspid valve: a reason for failure of balloon aortic valvuloplasty in the elderly.
abstract: Percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty failed to relieve the obstruction in 2 elderly patients with calcific aortic stenosis. Intraoperative and pathologic examination showed bicuspid aortic valve with symmetric cusps, straight and fibrotic cusp edges and fractured calcific nodules of the aortic valve. Failure of balloon valvuloplasty in these patients, in spite of successful fractures of calcific nodules, was due to inability to influence the spring-like action of the thickened edges of the valve which represents a specific additional cause of obstruction in calcific bicuspid aortic valve of the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Segni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rosenschein
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery