The aortic valve normally has three leaflets or cusps. Occasionally an individual is born with a valve having only two cusps - called a bicuspid valve.

Whereas the normal aortic valve in the heart has three flaps (cusps) that open and close, a bicuspid valve has only two. There may be no symptoms in childhood, but in time the valve may become stenotic (narrowed), making it harder for blood to pass through it, or the valve may start to let blood leak backwards through the valve (regurgitate). Treatment depends on how the valve is working. See the entire definition of Bicuspid aortic valve

An anomaly wherein the aortic valve is comprised of only two cusps instead of the usual three. There is often a raphe or aborted commissure dividing the larger cusp anatomically but not functionally. This anomaly is seen in 2% of the general population and in 75% of patents with aortic coarctation.

A bicuspid aortic valve is a heart condition that is usually due to a congenital deformity. A normal aortic valve has three cusps, whereas a bicuspid valve has only two. About 1-2% of the population have bicuspid aortic valves, although the disease is nearly twice as common in males.