A rare clinical case of blunt chest trauma: pseudoaneurysm of the aortic leaflet

Cardiac valve injuries are an extremely rare complication of blunt chest trauma. The most common cause of aortic insufficiency in the early and long-term posttraumatic periods are ruptures of the aortic valve annulus, which is more vulnerable to traumatic alterations than other valves. In rare cases, dissection of the aortic root intima may result in the development of pseudoaneurysms of the Valsalva sinus. A 45-year-old patient was admitted to the Kirov Military Medical Academy due to uncontrolled arterial hypertension, chest pain during physical activity, and sporadic heart palpitations. In the patient’s anamnesis it was stated that six years ago, a blunt chest trauma occurred while executing professional duties. An additional structure was discovered by echocardiography between the leaflets of the left and right aortic valves. In this clinical case study we aim to demonstrate the advantages of multimodal diagnostics, including the latest generation of CT scanners, to diagnose a rare complication of blunt chest trauma such as pseudoaneurysm of the left coronary leaflet of the aortic valve, to exclude the underlying causes of its development and to follow up on patients with such trauma.

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