PMC6446087_01
Reactive proliferation of blood vessels. (a) Reactive proliferation of dense blood vessels (arrows) surrounding calcified areas (asterisk) visualised by CD31 staining. Magnification 50x. (b) Overview of aortic valve hemangioma stained for CD31, showing an agglomerate of thin-walled vessels. Magnification 25x. (c) Detailed view of aortic valve hemangioma stained for CD31. Magnification 50x.
CRIC2019-7916298.001.jpg
PMC6446087_01_CRIC2019-7916298.001.jpg
fig1
In between the calcification areas, a few reactive small thin-walled blood vessels were found (Figure 1(a)). In the periphery of the valve, an agglomerate of thin walled, often dilated, blood vessels was observed (Figures 1(b) and 1(c)).
Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography. Apart from a slightly thickened aortic valve (arrow), no clear abnormalities indicative for a hemangioma could be observed.
CRIC2019-7916298.002.jpg
PMC6446087_01_CRIC2019-7916298.002.jpg
fig2
TTE. The aortic valve did appear slightly thickened, which was assumed to be due to atherosclerotic changes (Figure 2).