Rapidly progressive aortic valve incompetence in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

A 27-year-old female with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis of onset at age 18 years developed progressive aortic valve incompetence requiring urgent aortic valve replacement. Rheumatoid aortic valve disease may be more rapidly progressive than aortic valve disease from other causes and awareness of this by the monitoring physicians may help to avoid the possible complications.