Fenestrated Aortic Valve
Clinical History
This specimen was an incidental finding in a 61 year old man who died of carcinoma of the bronchus with cerebral metastases.
Pathology
The specimen is an opened aortic valve. The free edges of the valve cusps consist of slender threads and below these there are several holes in the cusps up to 7 x 3 mm in diameter. This is congenital fenestration of the aortic valve cusps. There is mild atheroma of the ascending aorta, best seen near the coronary orifices.