A case of nonpenetrating traumatic aortic regurgitation detected by transesophageal echocardiography

Long-Term Survival on Medical Therapy Alone after Blunt-Trauma Aortic Regurgitation: Report of a New Case with Summary of 95 Others

Aortic regurgitation resulting from blunt chest trauma has been reported only 95 times, to our knowledge. The noncoronary and right coronary cusps are the cardiac structures most often injured. Although the aortic leaflets can appear to be undamaged after nonpenetrating trauma, they can have pathologic abnormalities and insufficient function. Some cases of posttraumatic aortic regurgitation progress slowly. Aortic valve replacement is the optimal treatment. We present the case of a then-62-year-old man who has lived more than 5 years after blunt-trauma aortic regurgitation. His is the only case of long-term survival on medical therapy alone among the 96 cases summarized in this report.

Traumatic tricuspid regurgitation following cardiac massage

We report a 66-yr-old male patient who developed tricuspid regurgitation secondary to internal cardiac massage. After uneventful off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, the subject experienced cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit. External cardiac massage was initiated and internal cardiac massage was performed eventually. A transesophageal echocardiography revealed avulsion of the anterior papillary muscle and chordae to the anterior leaflet after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Emergency repair of the papillary muscle was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass.