Skip to main content
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1981 Aug;46(2):211–215. doi: 10.1136/hrt.46.2.211

Sudden death in a youth. A case of quadricuspid aortic valve with isolation of origin of left coronary artery.

H Kurosawa, S S Wagenaar, A E Becker
PMCID: PMC482631  PMID: 7272134

Abstract

A youth of 16 years of age died suddenly and quite unexpectedly while walking to school. The necropsy disclosed a quadricuspid aortic valve with complete isolation of the left coronary artery by an adherent aortic valve cusp. The left ventricular myocardium showed subendocardial contraction band necrosis suggesting that critical ischaemia had triggered a state of hypercontraction, in keeping with ventricular fibrillation as the immediate cause of death. The site of the anomaly in the aortic root showed dysplasia of the aortic wall and the affected valve cusp, histologically similar to the changes that characterise supravalvar aortic stenosis. The findings suggest a developmental anomaly, possibly a forme fruste of supravalvar aortic stenosis, rather than a postnatally acquired condition.

Full text

PDF
213

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BEUREN A. J., SCHULZE C., EBERLE P., HARMJANZ D., APITZ J. THE SYNDROME OF SUPRAVALVULAR AORTIC STENOSIS, PERIPHERAL PULMONARY STENOSIS, MENTAL RETARDATION AND SIMILAR FACIAL APPEARANCE. Am J Cardiol. 1964 Apr;13:471–483. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(64)90154-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BOURASSA M. G., CAMPEAU L. COMBINED SUPRAVALVULAR AORTIC AND PULMONIC STENOSIS. Circulation. 1963 Oct;28:572–581. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.28.4.572. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baroldi G. Different types of myocardial necrosis in coronary heart disease: a pathophysiologic review of their functional significance. Am Heart J. 1975 Jun;89(6):742–752. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(75)90189-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Beçu L., Somerville J., Gallo A. 'Isolated' pulmonary valve stenosis as part of more widespread cardiovascular disease. Br Heart J. 1976 May;38(5):472–482. doi: 10.1136/hrt.38.5.472. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DENIE J. J., VERHEUGT A. P. Supravalvular aortic stenosis. Circulation. 1958 Nov;18(5):902–908. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.18.5.902. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. EDWARDS J. E. PATHOLOGY OF LEFT VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW TRACT OBSTRUCTION. Circulation. 1965 Apr;31:586–599. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.31.4.586. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FARREHI C., DOTTER C. T., GRISWOLD H. E. SUPRAVALVULAR AORTIC STENOSIS. UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTIC FACIES. Am J Dis Child. 1964 Oct;108:335–340. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1964.02090010337001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. KREEL I., REISS R., STRAUSS L., BLUMENTHAL S., BARONOFSKY I. D. Supravalvular stenosis of the aorta. Ann Surg. 1959 Apr;149(4):519–524. doi: 10.1097/00000658-195904000-00011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MORROW A. G., WALDHAUSEN J. A., PETERS R. L., BLOOD-WELL R. D., BRAUNWALD E. Supravalvular aortic stenosis: clinical, hemodynamic and pathologic observations. Circulation. 1959 Dec;20:1003–1010. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.20.6.1003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Price A. C., Lee D. A., Kagan K. E., Baker W. P. Aortic dysplasia in infancy simulating anomalous origin of the left coronary artery. Circulation. 1973 Aug;48(2):434–437. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.48.2.434. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. WOOLEY C. F., HOSIER D. M., BOOTH R. W., MOLNAR W., SIRAK H. D., RYAN J. M. Supravalvular aortic stenosis. Clinical experiences with four patients including familial occurrence. Am J Med. 1961 Nov;31:717–725. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(61)90156-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Waxman M. B., Kong Y., Behar V. S., Sabiston D. C., Jr, Morris J. J., Jr Fusion of the left aortic cusp to the aoic wall with occlusion of the left coronary ostium, and aortic stenosis and insufficiency. Circulation. 1970 May;41(5):849–857. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.41.5.849. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES