Unicuspid aortic valve with false aortic dissection appearance: A case report

Summary– Unicuspid aortic valve (UAV) is a rare congenital anomaly that usually presents with aortic stenosis or mixed stenosis and regurgitation early in life. Ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection are important complications of UAVs. A 27-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a complaint of acute chest pain. Bedside transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed dilatation of ascending aorta (47 mm) and mild aortic regurgitation; computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed a suspicious dissection flap within ascending aorta. A cardiovascular surgeon, a radiologist, and a cardiologist were immediately consulted. TTE performed by the cardiologist revealed a unicuspid unicommissural aortic valve and dilated ascending aorta with no signs of dissection. Aortic dissection image on CT angiogram was interpreted by an experienced radiologist and the cardiovascular surgeon as superior pericardial recess and considered as a false-positive dissection image. Given the patient was pain-free, the CT image was considered false positive and as TTE clearly visualized the ascending aorta, the heart team decided that no further imaging is required. After excluding acute aortic syndrome, acute coronary syndrome, and other causes of acute chest pain, the patient was discharged with close follow-up. Diagnosis of aortic dissection is based on noninvasive imaging modalities, and CT is the first-line imaging choice in most emergency departments. Depending on a single imaging modality may cause false interpretations and lead to unnecessary surgical explorations.