Valvular Heart Disease USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 60-year-old man with severe osteoporosis and chronic kidney disease presents with dyspnea on exertion and a systolic ejection murmur at the right upper sternal border. Echocardiography reveals a heavily calcified aortic valve with severely reduced leaflet mobility and an ejection fraction of 45%. Laboratory studies show elevated phosphate and calcium-phosphate product. Which of the following pathologic processes best accounts for his aortic valve disease?
Answer choices
- ASyphilitic aortitis with valve involvement
- BEndocarditis with valve destruction
- CDegenerative calcific aortic stenosisCorrect answer
- DBicuspid aortic valve with calcification
- EAcute rheumatic fever with commissural fusion
- FSecondary hyperparathyroidism with metastatic calcification of valve tissue
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