[Ruptured aneurysm of the aortic sinus of Valsalva (author's transl)]

Three cases of ruptured aneurysm of the aortic sinus of Valsalva (one each into the right atrium, right ventricle and pulmonary artery) are reported and clinical as well as haemodynamic features described. It is pointed out that the right sinus is most frequently involved, the non-coronary one only rarely, and the left one only quite exceptionally. The clinical findings depend on the size, site and direction of the rupture and its haemodynamic consequences. Rupture occurs most frequently into the right attrium or ventricle, much more rarely into the pulmonary artery or left ventricle. Cardinal clinical signs are retrosternal pain, marked shock with dyspnoea and tachycardia or rapidly progressive cardiac failure. Auscultation reveals either a continuous systolic-diastolic murmur or a holosystolic crescendo-decrescendo murmur followed by a high-frequency diastolic murmur, maximal parasternally in the second to fourth left intercostal spaces. As effective surgical treatment is available, early diagnosis is essential.

Spontaneous aortic rupture in turkeys and the vascularization of the aortic wall

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Closed injuries of the thoracic aorta

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Sotalol for the protection of turkeys from the development of -aminopropionitrile-induced aortic ruptures

1. The influence of feeding 2 levels of sotalol on the incidence of beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN)-induced aortic ruptures of immature turkeys was determined.2. Four of 22 turkeys fed 0.12% sotalol and 0.07% BAPN died of aortic ruptures, but 6 of 21 turkeys fed only BAPN died of the syndrome.3. Blood pressure, heart rate, aortic tensile strength, and aortic structure as seen by light- and electron-microscope were similar in turkeys fed BAPN alone or both BAPN and 0.12% sotalol concurrently.4. In a second experiment, 13 of 24 turkeys fed 0.7% BAPN alone died of aortic ruptures, but only 2 of 24 turkeys fed BAPN and 0.2% sotalol concurrently died of the disease.5. Aortic tensile strength was lower, heart rate was faster, alterations of aortic elastic fibres as seen by light- and electron-microscope were more severe, and aortic salt soluble collagen with a higher amino acid content was increased in turkeys fed only BAPN, as compared to turkeys fed both BAPN and 0.2% sotalol.