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An unusual finding in a 57-year-old woman with new onset hypertension and a diastolic murmur.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Tarkin, Jason M 
Jayne, David R 
Rusk, Rosemary A 
Gopalan, Deepa 

Abstract

CLINICAL INTRODUCTION: A 57-year-old woman presented to our clinic with breathlessness brought on while walking uphill. She had been recently diagnosed with systemic hypertension. There was no known family history of cardiac disease, or prior smoking habit. On examination, pulse was 73 bpm and blood pressure 155/73 mm Hg, which was asymmetrical in her arms. Auscultation revealed a readily audible early diastolic murmur in the aortic area and bilateral subclavian bruits. ECG showed sinus rhythm with no abnormality. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated mild-to-moderate aortic regurgitation, and normal left ventricular size and function. The ascending aorta was mildly dilated (41 mm), with para-aortic thickening noted. Owing to the abnormal appearance of the aortic wall, cardiac MRI, and subsequently 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scan was performed (figure 1). QUESTION: Which complication of the underlying disease is evident in figure 1, panel C? Aortic aneurysmAortic dissectionAortic thrombusCoronary artery aneurysmCoronary sinus fistula.

Description

Keywords

Computed Tomography Angiography, Coronary Aneurysm, Coronary Angiography, Echocardiography, Female, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18, Heart Murmurs, Hemodynamics, Humans, Hypertension, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Middle Aged, Multimodal Imaging, Positron-Emission Tomography, Predictive Value of Tests, Radiopharmaceuticals, Takayasu Arteritis

Journal Title

Heart

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1355-6037
1468-201X

Volume Title

102

Publisher

BMJ
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (104492/Z/14/Z)
British Heart Foundation (None)