Acute Aortic Valvular Regurgitation Secondary to Avulsion of Aortic Valve Commissure in a Patient with Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum

A 68-year-old woman developed acute pulmonary edema due to severe acute aortic valvular regurgitation. At the time of emergency surgery, it turned out to result from spontaneous avulsion of the aortic valve commissure. Later, the patient was diagnosed to have pseudoxanthoma elasticum based on typical skin lesions. Connective tissue abnormalities associated with pseudoxanthoma elasticum might have contributed to the development of the avulsion of the aortic valve in this particular patient. (Internal Medicine 39: 940-942, 2000)