Is early surgery always necessary in patients with aortic valve prolapse complicating an Eisenmenger-type ventricular septal defect?

BACKGROUND

The report presents three patients who showed a typically prolapsed aortic cusp with or without aortic regurgitation associated with a malalignment-type perimembranous defect, the so called Eisenmenger-type ventricular septal defect.

RESULTS

Each patient developed spontaneous complete or near closure of the ventricular septal defect without worsening of the aortic regurgitation.

CONCLUSIONS

These cases suggest that prolapsed aortic cusp complicating a malalignment perimembranous ventricular septal defect is not always an absolute indication for early surgery to prevent progressive aortic regurgitation.