title: Ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva into the right atrium. An uncommon congenital heart defect.
abstract: Rupture of an aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva is an uncommon heart defect. A continuous murmur may be the first clinical sign of this rupture. Additional imaging techniques, and in the first place echocardiography, can be used to confirm the diagnosis. We present a case where, at the age 53 years, the diagnosis was made of a ruptured sinus of Valsalva into the right atrium, with a typical windsock image on echocardiogram. Although several cases of a ruptured sinus of Valsalva are reported in the literature, it is still an underdiagnosed condition because it is frequently missed during physical examination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Congenital Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven. werner.budts@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Budts
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moons
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van de Werf
mesh_terms: D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006337:Heart Murmurs / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D035583:Rare Diseases; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva; D016896:Treatment Outcome