Quadricuspid Aortic Valve: Out of the Shadows, into the Light

TL;DR

A 63-year-old man with a rare heart valve condition was successfully treated after the anomaly was discovered during surgery.

Contribution

Highlights the importance of intraoperative visualization in diagnosing undetected quadricuspid aortic valves.

Findings

Preoperative echocardiography failed to detect the quadricuspid aortic valve.

The valve was successfully replaced with a biological prosthesis during surgery.

Intraoperative visualization proved critical for accurate diagnosis.

Abstract

We present the case of a 63-year-old man with severe aortic valve regurgitation and left-ventricular dysfunction. The patient was scheduled for elective surgery. A quadricuspid aortic valve with fibrous thickening and calcification of the cusps was visualized intraoperatively while preoperative surface echocardiography had failed to diagnose this anomaly. The aortic valve was successfully replaced with a biological prosthesis.

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