Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) cannot be considered an innocent finding, but it is not necessarily a life-threatening condition. Athletes with BAV should undergo a thorough staging of the valve anatomy, taking into consideration hemodynamic factors, as well as aortic diameters and looking for other associated significant cardiovascular anomalies by use of a multimodality cardiac imaging approach. Furthermore an accurate follow-up is mandatory with serial cardiological controls in those allowed to continue sports.
Keywords: Athlete's heart; bicuspid aortic valve; cardiac magnetic resonance; computed tomography; echocardiography; endurance; multimodality imaging; power; sports training.