title: Non-infectious aortitis: an important cause of severe aortic regurgitation.
abstract: From 1995 to 2004, 13 patients with severe aortic regurgitation due to non-infectious aortitis underwent aortic valve surgery at our center. Twenty-eight operations (18 aortic valve replacements and 10 Bentall procedures including 1 aortic root replacement with a homograft) were performed due to a high incidence of prosthetic valve or valved conduit dehiscence (54%). Steroid therapy reduced the incidence of re-operation for anastomotic dehiscence within one year from 90% to 18%. Strategies to prevent dehiscence of the prosthetic aortic valve, which include institution of immunosuppression, replacement of the diseased aorta, and monitoring inflammatory indices, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Grantham Hospital, 125 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong, China. echau@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Elaine M C
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Clement S W
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Wing-Hing
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001025:Aortitis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012086:Reoperation; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone