Giant Aortic Root Aneurysm Presenting as Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

A 49-year-old woman with four months of increasing episodic palpitations, chest pain, and shortness of breath presented to an outside clinic where a new 4/6 systolic ejection murmur was identified. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a large aortic root aneurysm. The patient underwent emergent repair of the dissected root aneurysm with a modified Bentall procedure utilizing a #19 St Jude Valsalva mechanical valve conduit.

Cardiac manifestations of Q fever infection: case series and a review of the literature.

Background: Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, an uncommon intracellular bacterium found in livestock and domesticated dogs and cats. A minority of patients who acquire acute Q fever will subsequently develop chronic Q fever endocarditis, which often manifests in valvular insufficiency.

Method: We review recent literature and report the clinical presentation, treatment, and serology of three surgical patients with Q fever.