Aortic compliance in patients with aortic regurgitation: evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To assess by means of cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aortic compliance before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR with SJM valve) in patients with aortic regurgitation (AR).


METHODS
Two groups (healthy controls and patients with severe isolated AR) of 10 subjects each were included in this study. Cine MRI was performed at three locations of the aorta, and aortic compliance was calculated by dividing the maximum change in the aortic area by pulse pressure.


RESULTS
Cine MRI is useful to assess abnormalities of aortic compliance in patients with AR. Compared with the control group, aortic compliance in the AR group was significantly less in the ascending aorta (p<0.05), decreasing in order of aortic location. After AVR, aortic compliance improved for all locations.


CONCLUSIONS
Cine MRI enables assessment of aortic biophysical properties such as a compliance for evaluating the progression of AR and the efficacy of treatment.
Murai
Sachiko
S
Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Hamada
Seiki
S
Ueguchi
Takashi
T
Khankan
Azzam A
AA
Sumikawa
Hiromitsu
H
Inoue
Atsuo
A
Tsubamoto
Mitsuko
M
Honda
Osamu
O
Tomiyama
Noriyuki
N
Johkoh
Takeshi
T
Nakamura
Hironobu
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003187:Compliance; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged