Percutaneous treatment of a ruptured sinus Valsalva aneurysm with double orifices

Abstract

An aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva (SVA) may rupture into the cardiac cavities and cause abnormal connections between these cavities and the aorta. The right atrium and/or right ventricle are the cavities into which the SVA is most commonly observed to rupture. A 30-year-old patient presented to our cardiology clinic with the complaint of dyspnea. His physical examination revealed a thrill localized in the 5th intercostal space on the right edge of the sternum and systolic-diastolic murmur beginning from the aortic focus and spreading to the neck and back along the right edge of the sternum. The echocardiographic and invasive examinations revealed two defects leading to a passage from the right sinus Valsalva to the right ventricle. While the left-to-right shunt ratio was calculated as 3.8, the anatomic locations and dimensions of the defects were found to be eligible for percutaneous closure. Using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder I device, the defects were closed in two sessions. Although the classical treatment method of ruptured SVA is surgical repair, percutaneous closure devices may be used as a reliable alternative method in suitable patients.