Bicuspid aortic valve

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bicuspid aortic valve
Classification & external resources

OMIM	109730
DiseasesDB	1392
eMedicine	ped/2486

A bicuspid aortic valve is a heart condition that is usually due to a congenital deformity. A normal aortic valve has three cusps, whereas a bicuspid valve has only two. About 1-2% of the population have bicuspid aortic valves, although the disease is nearly twice as common in males. The majority will cause no problems. However, especially in later life, a bicuspid aortic valve may become calcified, which may lead to varying degrees of severity of aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation, which will manifest as murmurs. If these become severe enough, they may require surgery.

[edit] Reference

Cohn LH, Edmunds LH Jr. Cardiac Surgery in the Adult. McGraw-Hill, 2003.