Traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva: A case report

Deceleration injuries of the aorta result in tears that often lead to exsanguinating hemorrhage. The site is most often at the aortic isthmus, with injuries of the aortic root being rare. A minority of patients survive long enough to reach the hospital where prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential for survival. We hereby report on a patient who had a pseudoaneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva 13 years after a deceleration accident, presumably caused by a contained rupture of the aortic root. Transesophageal echocardiography was of great value in studying the features of the pseudoaneurysm and its relation to the left main coronary artery and left upper pulmonary vein. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1997;10:377-80.)