title: Traumatic aortic and mitral valve injury following blunt chest injury with a variable clinical course.
abstract: Blunt trauma is uncommonly followed by intracardiac valvar injuries. The resulting valvar insufficiency rapidly or progressively leads to congestive heart failure or death unless surgically corrected. Three patients with sustained blunt chest trauma were found to have two aortic valve and one mitral valve ruptures. They had variable clinical courses. However, after the diagnosis was established, surgical intervention was attempted promptly, which consisted of two aortic valve replacements and one mitral valvoplasty. Their postoperative courses were uneventful. Careful observation and repeated physical examination, aided by echocardiography, were required after the blunt chest trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan, Taiwan 704, Republic of China. kcd56@mail.ncku.edu.tw
authors.forename: C-D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Y-J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000293:injuries*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000293:injuries*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D010808:Physical Examination; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012421:Rupture; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*