Valvular Heart Disease USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 29 year old tall thin man presents with exertional dyspnea and a sensation of chest pounding. He has hyperextensible joints and long fingers. Cardiac examination shows an early diastolic blowing murmur at the left sternal border. Echocardiography shows dilation of the ascending aorta with poor coaptation of otherwise normal aortic valve cusps. Which of the following is the most likely mechanism of this patient's valvular lesion?
Answer choices
- ACystic medial degeneration causing aortic root enlargementCorrect answer
- BMyxomatous degeneration of the chordae tendineae
- CFibrous thickening of valve leaflets due to carcinoid syndrome
- DPost inflammatory commissural fusion
- ECongenital malalignment of the conotruncal septum
- FBacterial vegetation causing perforation of the aortic valve cusp
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