Why some patients with BAV develop an aortic aneurysm
(like the one seen on the left outside the white lines indicating
the normal aorta) is unclear. It may be that the misshapen
valve alters blood flow in a way that puts undue stress on the aorta. Or perhaps the wall of the aorta is not normal from
birth. “I suspect it is a combination of both,” says Dr. Roselli.
The heart and cardiovascular system develop during the first three months of pregnancy. When everything goes well, an aortic valve with three leaflets (cusps) emerges. But in 1% to 2% of hearts, two of the leaflets fuse, leaving the valve with one normal leaflet and a larger, misshapen one. This is called a bicuspid aortic […]
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