Seventeen patients with sinus of Valsalva aneurysm are described. All of these patients have had late follow-up to assess prognosis. Twelve patients had congenital aneurysms and five were mycotic. There were 12 males and five females, ranging in age from 20 to 59 years of age (mean of 38 years). Symp toms of congestive heart failure, fatigue, and palpitations were common and were present from three days to seven years before diagnosis (mean of 13.8 months.) All patients had cardiac catheterization including aortography, and 16 had right heart catheterizations. Eleven patients (65%) had aneurysms which ruptured into another cardiac chamber, most frequently the right atrium (six patients). Eleven patients (65%) had aortic insufficiency, and it was moderate to severe in seven. New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class at diag nosis was variable and did not correlate with degree of left-to-right shunt in patients with fistulas to the right heart. Functional Class seemed to correlate with the degree of aortic insufficiency.
Fourteen patients required surgery. The surgical procedure usually con sisted of repair of aneurysm and fistula when present, and aortic valve replace ment. There was one death prior to surgery and one operative death (operative mortality of 7%). Ten of the patients (66%) were in NYHA Functional Class I at late follow-up (range 2.5 to 13.1 years, mean 6.5 years). Long-term functional disability occurred more frequently in patients with moderate to severe aortic insufficiency at the time of diagnosis.
Patients with aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva are a heterogenous popula tion. Functional Class at the time of diagnosis as well as long-term prognosis appears to be related to the presence and severity of aortic insufficiency at diagnosis. Catheterization with aortography and right heart catheterization are mandatory for accurate diagnosis. Surgical results are good with low operative mortality and improvement in long-term Functional Class.
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