Pulmonary artery aneurysm associated with a non-stenotic bicuspid
pulmonic valve: a role for genetics?
Abstract
Background Bicuspid pulmonic valves are quite uncommon, being described
in only 0.1% of donor hearts, while pulmonary artery aneurysms are even
more rare, having been found in 8 out of 109,571 autopsies. This rarity
makes it difficult to characterize the relationship between them.
Materials & Methods We describe the case of a 66-year-old female who
was found to have a bicuspid pulmonic valve and pulmonary artery
aneurysm (5.1cm) on imaging by her cardiologist. Discussion &
Conclusion This case raises the question of whether the association
between bicuspid semilunar valve disease and vascular wall anomalies are
more genetic or hemodynamic. Even on the aortic side, despite the robust
association between bicuspid aortic valves and thoracic aortic
aneurysms, the mechanism still remains unclear. In our patient there was
no significant gradient across the bicuspid pulmonic valve, suggesting
that hemodynamics are not the primum mobile of this association.