Alport syndrome is an inherited disorder of type IV collagen most commonly leading to glomerulonephritis and kidney failure. Various extrarenal manifestations have been reported, including a spectrum of aortic and aortic valve diseases. We report a case of a 34-year-old man with Alport syndrome presenting with chest pain. Work-up showed a dilated aortic root, bicuspid aortic valve, aortic insufficiency, and small ascending aortic dissection necessitating surgical repair. We provide a review of the literature describing aortic pathology in Alport syndrome and suggest that clinicians caring for patients with Alport syndrome have a high index of suspicion for such entities in patients presenting with symptoms of chest pain.
Copyright © 2012 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.