A rare cause of acute heart failure.

We describe a rare clinical case of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (RSVA) into the right ventricle, complicated with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and myocardial ischaemia. The AR was caused by a hemodynamic effect solely, in which the shunt of blood flow through the ruptured site pulled the right aortic cusp away from closure. The pathological mechanism of the AR was clearly visualized by transesophageal echocardiography. Early successful primary closure of the RSVA resulted in resolution of the associated AR without any additional procedure.