my 3 month old has been told they may have a unicuspid or bicuspid aortic valve but cardio isn't sure yet. if it is none of them what can it be?

Question

My 3-year-old brother has a bicuspid aortic valve. Is this something serious?

Answer 1

MGT: More details describing symptoms and the quality of the murmur would be helpful in answering your question. If there is any respiratory difficulty, sweating, feeding difficulty and/or poor growth, please see the ED right away. A virtual in box consultation can be booked online and his ECHO uploaded for review.

Answer 2

Hypertension & genes: Genetics plus hypertension plus age.

Answer 3

Medial necrosis: Cystic medial necrosis induced by arteriosclerotic obliteration of the vasa vasorum of the aorta is the most common cause.

Answer 4

Causes: Htn, smoking, hypercholesteremia, genetic factors. Males over 65 who ever smoked need screening with ultrasound.

Answer 5

.? AAA: They are a bulge in the wall of the aorta (your main artery running through your abdomen and ultimately supplying the blood to your legs) from a weakness. They can be thought of like a bulge in your garden hose. The exact cause is still under investigation.

Answer 6

With twists/bends: The term "tortuous" simply means: full of twists, turns and bends. In medicine we use this to describe the pathway of veins or arteries. When either veins or arteries "grow" to become varicose veins or aneurysms, not only do they grow in diameter, but also in length. As they grow longer, they start bending and twisting to accommodate and "fit" into the same body.

Answer 7

Not straight: It may or may not be consequential. On the other hand, it may cause decrease in blood flow or have clot in it. So, tortuosity per se is not the key issue. Rather, the associated finding that comes with it.

Answer 8

Tortuous aneurysm: It simply means it does not lay in a straight line. You might also say it follows an erratic path rather than lying, more or less, in a straight line.

Answer 9

Ballooning Artery: An infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm is the dilitation or ballooning of the abdominal aorta below the branches that provide blood to the kidneys. It is believed that the wall of the artery weakens over time from inflammation. This weakening causes the artery to swell. When > 5cm in diameter the risk of rupture and bleeding goes up dramatically. This is life threatening and is typically repaired.

Answer 10

AAA: This an enlargement of the aorta. The normal aortic diameter in this location is 1.8-2.0 CM in size. An aneurysm is typically defined as an enlargement of aorta to double the normal size. The larger the aorta gets the thinner the wall and more likely the risk of rupture.

Answer 11

Lower part: Infra renal aneurysm means it is involving the lower part of the abdominal aorta after it gives rise to the blood vessels supplying the kidneys. Infra renal aneurysms can be generally treated with a stent graft which is implanted going through the artery in the groin. It is thus possible that a major surgery involving opening the abdomen can be avoided.

Answer 12

Inflammatory process: The exact mechanism for AAA formation is not known. There are several etiologies/theories. The most widely accepted is that aaas form due to an inflammatory process in the wall of the aorta associated with atherosclerosis. Inflammatory cells are thought to degrade structural proteins (such as elastin) in the wall of the aorta, weakening it and allowing for aneurysm formation.

Answer 13

Weakening: Of the aortic wall secondary to atherosclerosis or connective tissue disorder.

Answer 14

Pathophys AAA: The exact mechanism remains under investigation. There are differences in proteins and other elements on a molecular basis when comparing normal aortic walls vs ones with aneurysms though the mechanisms responsive and how to manipulate those mechanisms remain under investigation.

Answer 15

Depends: There is a big difference between an open repair and an endovascular repair. Open repairs require aggressive cardio-pulmonary resuscitation post-op. Depending on the extent of the repair patients are often kept intubated the first night. Endovascular procedures are typically less of a physiological burden on the body and patients are extubated the same day and typically go home the next day.

Answer 16

Endograft: Patients go home in a day or so. Wound care at groin incision. Light activity for 2 weeks.

Answer 17

Post op care AAA: For open repairs one goes home working on return to normal diet and activity level in a gradual fashion. Surgical clips from the incision closure are usually removed at 14 days post-procedure. Endovascular repairs are typically easier with two small groin incisions to recover from. Your diet has not really been altered in that procedure.

my 3 month old has been told they may have a unicuspid or bicuspid aortic valve but cardio isn't sure yet. if it is none of them what can it be?

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