Severe aortic regurgitation from systemic hypertension (without aortic dissection) requiring aortic valve replacement. Analysis of four patients

Clinical and morphologic observations are described in four patients who had severe aortic regurgitation from severe systemic hypertension un-associated with aortic dissection; each patient underwent aortic valve replacement. Although aortic regurgitation of minimal or mild degree is well recognized to occur in patients with systemic hypertension, severe degrees of aortic regurgitation are rare in such patients; aortic valve replacement in such patients has not previously been reported. Why these four patients had such severe aortic regurgitation was not determined. Although systemic hypertension is rarely a cause, it nevertheless must be added to the list of causes of severe pure aortic regurgitation.