Aortic Valve Prolapse in Congenital and Acquired Systemic Disease

• Aortic valve prolapse, an uncommon finding in subjects with aortic insufficiency, occurred in one patient with rheumatoid arthritis and one with a congenital bicuspid aortic valve, conditions in which aortic insufficiency has been commonly attributed to aortic root dilatation and incomplete aortic valve closure, respectively. Aortic valve prolapse may be more commonly reported as the cause of aortic insufficiency in these conditions now that noninvasive techniques, such as echocardiography, are available.

(Arch Intern Med 1985;145:1601-1603)