Aortic knuckle calcification

¹Department of Community Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Shankar Nagar, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600044, India

^&Corresponding author
Surya Besant Natarajan, Department of Community Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Shankar Nagar, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600044, India

Image in medicine    

Aortic knuckle calcification is a condition where there is deposit of calcium in aortic valve causing reduced blood flow through the same. The condition usually presents in old age as a complication of rheumatic heart disease or Infective Endocarditis. Risk factors include old age, raised blood pressure and coronary heart disease. A 60-year-old female came with chief complaints of breathing difficulty for one month (grade 2 dyspnea) along with chest pain for two days. There was a history of rheumatic fever five years ago and was treated with a ten days course of penicillin. On examination, her blood pressure was found to be 150/100mmHg. Chest X-ray was taken and it showed aortic knuckle calcification. The patient was started on anti-hypertensive drugs and rheumatic fever prophylaxis and was planned for surgical valve replacement after 3 months.

Figure 1: radio-opaque mass over the hilar region: aortic knuckle calcification