[An unusual complication of percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty: rupture of an aberrant mitral chorda]. / Une complication exceptionnelle de la valvuloplastie aortique percutanée: la rupture d'un cordage mitral aberrant.

ABSTRACT

The case of a 77-year old woman who died of refractory pulmonary oedema 36 hours after percutaneous valvuloplasty for tight calcified aortic valve stenosis is reported. Post-mortem examination showed satisfactory opening of the aortic orifice but also rupture of an aberrant chorda which crossed the outflow tract below the aortic sigmoid valves, between the mitral valve and the interventricular septum. This case suggests that before all aortic valvuloplasties the absence of aberrant chorda or suspicious subaortic acceleration should be confirmed by Doppler echocardiography; moreover, during the procedure the balloon should not be inserted too deeply into the left ventricle.