Quadricuspid aortic valve by transthoracic echocardiography.
A 55-year-old woman seeks medical attention with palpitations, atypical chest pain and dyspnea upon exertion, lasting for 12 months. ECG showed left ventricular hypertrophy. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiogram confirmed hypertrophy of the left chambers and showed a quadricuspid aortic valve, with equal-sized cusps, in addition to a moderate regurgitant central flow. Upon echocardiography, the quadricuspid valve is identified by its characteristic "X" form during diastole and rectangular aspect during systole. Heart failure symptoms are presumably caused by valve insufficiency due to abnormal leaflet coaptation. Considering the possibility of progressive regurgitation, follow up on the patient was performed with periodic echocardiographic control. Symptoms responded to treatment.
Abreu Silva
Erlon Oliveira de
EO
Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS - Brasil. erlon@terra.com.br
Iglesias
Alessandro Giralde
AG
Silva
Erlon de Abreu
Ede A
D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged