Giant extracardiac unruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva: a case report.

Extracardiac unruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva (ASV) is rare and difficult to diagnose accurately by echocardiography or cardiac catheterization preoperatively. A 63-year-old woman, with dyspnea and palpitations, diagnosed with aortic regurgitation (AR) with congestive heart failure and extracardiac unruptured ASV, was referred to our hospital for surgical repair. The unruptured ASV was well visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and diagnosed as an extracardiac type. Surgical repair was performed by aortic valve replacement and aneurysmectomy. It was concluded that early surgical repair of extracardiac ASV should be considered to prevent sudden death, and MRI is an accurate and useful method for preoperative diagnosis.