AS can be familial with which inheritance pattern?

• A. Autosomal dominant
• B. X-linked recessive
• C. Mitochondrial inheritance
• D. Autosomal recessive

Answer: (A)

Aortic stenosis linked to a familial tendency, especially when due to a bicuspid aortic valve, is most consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. In this pattern, a single mutated gene copy can be passed from an affected parent to about half of the children, leading to familial clustering across generations. However, there is often incomplete penetrance and variable expression, so not every carrier develops significant stenosis or at the same age.

X-linked recessive would show a strong male predominance and a different transmission pattern through carrier mothers. Mitochondrial inheritance requires transmission from the mother to all offspring and tends to affect multiple tissues. Autosomal recessive would require both parents to be carriers and often presents in siblings rather than a clear multigenerational pattern. Thus autosomal dominant best explains familial AS.