A quadricuspid aortic valve in an asymptomatic 40-year-old man: a case report

BACKGROUND: Integrated transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography enables identification and characterization of a quadricuspid aortic valve anomaly. CASE PRESENTATION: A totally asymptomatic 40-year-old white man was referred to our Division of Cardiology after accidental finding of a heart murmur. Transesophageal echocardiography detected a quadricuspid aortic valve characterized by four cusps of equal size and severe aortic valvular regurgitation, without any further anomalies. He underwent a successful aortic valve repair. CONCLUSIONS: Quadricuspid aortic valve anomaly is a rare congenital cardiac defect that can cause progressive valvular complications.