Incidence of quadricuspid pulmonary valves at postmortem examination. 2024

Michael Duffy, and Sarah Parsons, and Joseph Westaby, and Mary Sheppard
Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Pathology, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne. Electronic address: michael.c.duffy07@gmail.com.

Quadricuspid pulmonic valve is a rare congenital abnormality and because of its difficult non-invasive assessment, it is usually discovered incidentally at autopsies (reported prevalence in post-mortem specimens ranges from 1 in 400 to 1 in 2000). Unlike a bicuspid pulmonary valve, it rarely presents with clinical complications, such as valvular insufficiency or stenosis. Abnormal function is rarely reported in cases that are not associated with other congenital heart disease. With increased sophistication of imaging coincidental quadricuspid valves autopsy studies are important to understand the anatomical consequences of this finding. Our case series identified 21 QPV cases from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Melbourne and St George's University of London, Department of Cardiovascular Pathology. Cases were identified through local database searches and review of autopsy/cardiac examination reports over a 20-year period. Available photographs were also systematically examined. Fifteen cases had causes of death with no direct causality to cardiac valvular pathology alone. Six cases were considered unascertained or similar (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy). The presence of QPV in these instances were uncertain but thought to be unlikely contributory to death, due to the absence of pulmonary valvular complications.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011664 Pulmonary Valve A valve situated at the entrance to the pulmonary trunk from the right ventricle. Pulmonary Valves,Valve, Pulmonary,Valves, Pulmonary
D002423 Cause of Death Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D005260 Female Females
D006330 Heart Defects, Congenital Developmental abnormalities involving structures of the heart. These defects are present at birth but may be discovered later in life. Congenital Heart Disease,Heart Abnormalities,Abnormality, Heart,Congenital Heart Defect,Congenital Heart Defects,Defects, Congenital Heart,Heart Defect, Congenital,Heart, Malformation Of,Congenital Heart Diseases,Defect, Congenital Heart,Disease, Congenital Heart,Heart Abnormality,Heart Disease, Congenital,Malformation Of Heart,Malformation Of Hearts
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults

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