[A case report of aortic regurgitation associated with rheumatic arthritis]

We report a rare case of aortic regurgitation (AR) associated with rheumatic arthritis (RA). A 61-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with severe heart failure due to AR. She had a 8-year history of RA and had been treated with steroid therapy. Trans-esophageal echocardiography showed thickness and shortening of non coronary cusp (NCC) of aortic valve. After treated for heart failure, aortic valve replacement with SJM-HP 17 mm was done. At operation, right and left coronary cusps were almost normal, but NCC was thickened and shortened. The valve of NCC histology showed granuloma. She recovered uneventfully. Two cases of cardiac valvular disease, associated with granuloma of RA, were reported in Japan. We discussed these cases in this paper.