| Aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva | |
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| Classification and external resources | |
Aorta laid open to show the semilunar valves. (Aortic sinus, also known as "sinus of Valsalva", is labeled at upper left.) |
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| ICD-10 | Q25.4 (EUROCAT Q25.43) |
| DiseasesDB | 32260 |
| eMedicine | med/2133 ped/2106 |
Aneurysm of the aortic sinus, also known as the sinus of Valsalva, is comparatively rare. When present, it is usually in either the right (65-85%) or in the noncoronary (10-30%) sinus, rarely in the left (< 5%) sinus.
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This type of aneurysm is typically congenital and may be associated with heart defects. It is sometimes associated with Marfan syndrome or Loeys-Dietz syndrome, but may also result from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, atherosclerosis, syphilis, cystic medial necrosis, chest injury, or infective endocarditis.
If unruptured, this type aneurysm may be asymptomatic and therefore go undetected until symptoms appear or medical imaging is performed for other reasons. A ruptured aneurysm typically leads to an aortocardiac shunt and progressively worsening heart failure. [1]
Medical therapy of aneurysm of the aortic sinus includes blood pressure control through the use of drugs, such as beta blockers.
Another approach is surgical repair.[2] The determination to perform surgery is usually based upon the diameter of the aortic root, with 5 centimeters being a rule of thumb, and the rate of increase in its size, as determined through repeated echocardiography. (A normal size, by comparison, is 2-3 centimeters.)
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