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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

A Rabbit Aortic Valve Stenosis Model Induced by Direct Balloon Injury
Published on: March 31, 2023
Stroke secondary to calcific bicuspid aortic valve: case report and literature review
Nitin Mahajan1, Vipin Khetarpal, Luis Afonso
1Department of Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. nitin9696@yahoo.com
Background:
Aortic valve calcification is common in rheumatic endocarditis, elderly patients, and congenital bicuspid aortic valve. It is not a recognized risk factor for stroke. We report a case of non-calcific embolization from calcified bicuspid aortic valve.
Methods:
A 52-year-old male with bicuspid aortic valve presented with aphasia and right arm weakness of less than 3h duration. CT head revealed hypodensity in the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) distribution and laboratory testing showed factor V leiden heterozygosity. The patient improved after intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), but developed recurrence of right sided hemiparesis and silent myocardial infarction (MI). Cerebral angiography revealed clot in the left MCA. The patient received t-PA followed by transcatheter clot retrieval and was started on anticoagulation.
Conclusions:
Embolization from calcific bicuspid aortic valves can lead to stroke and MI. Conservative management with anticoagulation for treatment of associated poststagnation thrombosis or aortic valve replacement as treatment is debatable. This patient was successfully managed with anticoagulation.
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