[Ruptured aneurysm of the aortic sinus of Valsalva: clinical course, diagnosis, and treatment].

The authors present the clinical cases of 5 patients, with rupture of the aortic Valsalva's sinus aneurysm open to the right chambers, diagnosed clinically, echocardiographically and hemodynamically in the past eight months. Among them, four were males, and one female. Three were treated surgically successfully, one patient refused surgery and another had a sudden death before surgery. The patients showed arteriovenous blood flow shunt, three from the aorta to the right ventricle, and two to the right atrium. One case was associated to an atrial septal defect, and tricuspid insufficiency in another. The authors added a sixth case: a woman, with rupture of the aortic Valsalva's sinus open to the right ventricle, aortic insufficiency and diaphragmatic subaortic stenosis. The authors discuss the embryologic origin of the formation and rupture of the Valsalva's sinus aneurysm as well as the factors that contribute to it's rupture, the natural history of the illness, it's classification, association with other heart disease as well as diagnosis and treatment.