Idiopathic aortitis with calcification of ascending aorta, and aortic and mitral valves.

A young woman with unexplained radiographic calcification of the ascending aorta was found at necropsy to have healed idiopathic aorititis. Calcification also involved the aortic valve which was stenosed and the mitral valve. Death was the result of infective endocarditis of these valves with aortic ring abscess, rupture of aortic root, and cardiac tamponade.