A larger aortic annulus causes aortic regurgitation and a smaller aortic annulus causes aortic stenosis in bicuspid aortic valve.
A bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) often causes aortic stenosis (AS) or regurgitation (AR). In 54 patients with a BAV (48 +/- 16 years), transthoracic and transesophageal echo were performed to measure aortic annulus diameter (AAD), to evaluate the severity of aortic valve disease (AVD) and to calculate the area eccentricity index (AEI) of a BAV defined as a ratio of the larger aortic cusp area to a smaller aortic cusp area. By multiple linear regression analysis, the severity of AR correlated significantly with the AAD (r = 0.38) and AEI (r = 0.35) (P < 0.05) and that of AS correlated significantly with the AAD (r =-0.40) and AEI (r = 0.34) (P < 0.05). Thirty-six patients showed anteroposteriorly (A-P) located BAVs and 18 patients showed right-left (R-L) located BAVs. The AAD was larger in A-P type than in R-L type (15 +/- 3 vs 13 +/- 2 mm/BSA, P < 0.05) and there was no difference in the age and AEI between the two groups. AR was more severe in A-P type than in R-L type while AS was more severe in R-L type than in A-P type (P < 0.05). Twenty-nine patients showed raphes. The AEI was larger in raphe (+) type than in raphe (-) type (1.83 +/- 0.53 vs 1.51 +/- 0.47, P < 0.05) and there was no difference in the AAD and severity of AVD between the two groups. In conclusion, a BAV with larger aortic annulus or A-P located will tend to cause AR while a BAV with smaller aortic annulus or R-L located will tend to cause AS.
Sonoda
Makoto
M
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. sonoda-2im@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp <sonoda-2im@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp>
Takenaka
Katsu
K
Uno
Kansei
K
Ebihara
Aya
A
Nagai
Ryozo
R
D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged