title: Unusual clinical course after surgical repair of unruptured aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva.
abstract: Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are characterized by dilatation of at least one of the three aortic sinuses. We experienced a case with unruptured aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva, in which serial imaging studies were useful in assessing a rare complication after surgical repair. An asymptomatic 75-year-old man underwent patch closure of the aneurysm orifice because of progressive enlargement of the aneurysm. The postoperative course was uneventful, and computed tomography (CT), performed a week after the patch repair, showed no leakage of contrast medium into the isolated aneurysm. Three months later, echocardiography showed decreased size of the aneurysm with heterogeneous echogenicity and possible blood flow in the aneurysm, findings suggestive of thrombus formation and a recurrent fistula. CT with contrast medium showed partial recanalization between the patched aneurysm and the right sinus of Valsalva. Follow-up echocardiography, performed 1 year after surgery, revealed neither definite aneurysm nor shunt flow of Valsalva. The present case highlights that non-invasive follow-up can be an alternative option when carried out with caution in selected patients with incomplete closure of Valsalva aneurysm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan. ysato@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan.|Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Sakiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Kuniyasu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Matsushita Memorial Hospital, Sotojima 5-55, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamitani
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matoba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Aneurysm; Complication; Echocardiography; Valsalva