Aortic valve prolapse misdiagnosed as aortic sinus aneurysm in patients with ventricular septal defect. Analysis of the echocardiographic findings

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively analyzed the preoperative echocardiographic findings of 9 patients with doubly committed ventricular septal defect (VSD) associated with aortic valve prolapse and to summarize the reasons for misdiagnosis. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in Yijishan Hospital, Wannan, Anhui, China between June 2005 and May 2015. Using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), 92 patients were diagnosed with doubly committed VSD associated with rupture of an aortic sinus aneurysm. The operative findings proved to be in accordance with the echocardiographic findings in 83 patients. Nine patients were confirmed as showing doubly committed VSD associated with perforation of a prolapsed aortic valve. We primarily discussed the 9 patients who were misdiagnosed by TTE. RESULTS: Aneurysm-like protrusions could be detected by 2-dimensional TTE in the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) in 9 patients. All of the aneurysm-like protrusions were confirmed by surgery as over-enlarged right coronary leaflets bulging into the RVOT. CONCLUSION: Occasionally, in patients with doubly committed VSD, aortic valve prolapse can be misdiagnosed as an aortic sinus aneurysm. To reduce the misdiagnosis rate and to provide a more precise preoperative diagnosis, multi-section, and multi-angle observation of these diseases should be performed.