The International Bicuspid Aortic Valve Consensus Statement: Enduring the Test of Time

Expert Consensus Statement: Anatomy, Imaging, and Nomenclature of Congenital Aortic Root MalformationsThe Annals of Thoracic SurgeryVol. 116Issue 1PreviewOver the past 2 decades, several categorizations have been proposed for the abnormalities of the aortic root. These schemes have mostly been devoid of input from specialists of congenital cardiac disease. The aim of this review is to provide a classification, from the perspective of these specialists, based on an understanding of normal and abnormal morphogenesis and anatomy, with emphasis placed on the features of clinical and surgical relevance. We contend that the description of the congenitally malformed aortic root is simplified when approached in a fashion that recognizes the normal root to be made up of 3 leaflets, supported by their own sinuses, with the sinuses themselves separated by the interleaflet triangles. Full-Text PDF Open Access