Rupture of the Aortic Valve

Abstract

RUPTURE of the aortic valve may occur as a result of trauma,^{1 2 3 4} strain,^{1 , 5} or bacterial infection.^{6 , 7} The valves are usually the site of some predisposing factors such as rheumatic valvulitis, syphilitic infection,⁶ atheromatous changes^{1 , 6} and congenital anomalies.^{4 , 8} Nevertheless, in a considerable number of cases, the valve, as seen at post-mortem examination, is otherwise normal.^{1 2 3 4} The feature common to free aortic insufficiency resulting from rupture, whether traumatic or infectious in origin, is the grave and usually hopeless prognosis.Bright and Beck,⁹ in 1935, reviewed the general subject of traumatic heart disease with a view of possibly salvaging some cases, and their . . .