title: Biphasic Doppler pattern of the descending thoracic aorta: a new echocardiographic finding in patients with aortic valve stenosis.
abstract: A total of 59 patients (> or = 65 years of age) with normal left ventricular function (ejection fraction > 50%) and varying degrees of aortic valve structure and hemodynamics (normal to severely stenotic) were screened; 50 were subsequently enrolled. Continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in the descending thoracic aorta showed two general patterns: (1) in aortic stenosis, the pattern consisted of two peak systolic velocity components (S1 and S2); and (2) in normal aortic valve function, the pattern was a uniphasic signal with a single peak systolic velocity component. The new Doppler pattern yielded 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity in the detection of clinically significant aortic valve stenosis, and 92% sensitivity and 70% specificity in the detection of severe aortic valve stenosis. Sensitivity was 96% in uniphasic signals during normal aortic valve function by conventional 2-dimensional and Doppler criteria. This article introduces characteristics of this Doppler velocity profile as a new diagnostic finding of aortic valve stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Behrenbeck
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Spittell
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gilman
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Seward
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology