Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2018 Sep;8(3):763-768.
doi: 10.1177/1925362118797753. Epub 2018 Aug 31.

Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm and Infective Endocarditis Involving a Bicuspid Aortic Valve in an Infant With Trisomy 21

Nicole A Croom, Nicole Therrien, Michael Chambliss, Philip C Ursell
Case Reports

Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm and Infective Endocarditis Involving a Bicuspid Aortic Valve in an Infant With Trisomy 21

Nicole A Croom et al. Acad Forensic Pathol. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

A 19-month-old girl with trisomy 21 and a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve died following a short febrile illness. Autopsy disclosed pericarditis, epimyocardial abscess, infective endocarditis, and a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. Microscopy demonstrated continuity between the aortic wall and valve leaflet, consistent with an acquired aneurysm. Abnormal hemodynamics associated with the valve malformation likely facilitated endocarditis.

Keywords: Bicuspid aortic valve; Congenital heart defect; Forensic pathology; Infective endocarditis; Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm; Trisomy 21.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures & Declaration of Conflicts of Interest: The authors, reviewers, editors, and publication staff do not report any relevant conflicts of interest

Figures

Image 1:
Image 1:
Epimyocardial abscess. A) Protuberant mass between the right atrial appendage (RAA) and the ascending aorta (Asc Ao). B) A histologic section shows hemorrhage and intense inflammation of the abscess (H&E, x12.5). C) High magnification demonstrates numerous polymorphonuclear cells (H&E, x400).
Image 2:
Image 2:
A close-up view of the left ventricular outflow tract. The right coronary artery ostium (arrowhead) denotes the epicardial position of the abscess. The sinus of Valsalva aneurysm at the conjoined leaflet is dilated as compared with the normal sinus at the noncoronary leaflet.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Connolly A, Finkbeiner W, Ursell P, Davis R. Autopsy pathology: a manual and atlas. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2016. 400 p.
    1. Weinreich M, Yu PJ, Trost B. Sinus of valsalva aneurysms: review of the literature and an update on management. Clin Cardiol. 2015. March; 38(3):185–9. PMID: 25757442 10.1002/clc.22359. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Benatar A, Decraene T, Feenstra A. Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in a child with Down syndrome: a rare cardiac anomaly. Med Sci Monit. 2010. November; 16(11): CS135-7 PMID: 20980963. - PubMed
    1. Bhutia E, Kumar D, Shankar B, et al. Bicuspid aortic valve: an unusual cause of aneurysm of left coronary sinus of Valsalva. Iran J Med Sci. 2017. May; 42(3):310–3. PMID: 28533581. PMCID: PMC5429501. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kwittken J, Christopoulos P, Dua NK, Bruno MS. Congenital and acquired aortic sinus aneurysm: a case report of each with histologic study. Arch Intern Med. 1965. June; 115:684–91. PMID: 14299439. - PubMed

Publication types