title: Aortic annulus diameter measurement: what is the best modality?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to clarify the most suitable method to measure the aortic annulus diameter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients, who had undergone aortic valve replacement at Miyazaki University Hospital between April 2008 and May 2011, were included in this study. The maximum diameter of the sizing tool that could be inserted into the left ventricle through the annulus had been predicted, based on the diameter measured by each modality. Agreement with surgery and each imaging modality, namely transthoracic echocardiography, multidetector computed tomography and contrast angiography, were compared using Bland-Altman analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The predicted aortic annulus diameter, based on the diameter measured by transthoracic echocardiography, multidetector computed tomography and contrast angiography, was 20.3 ± 2.50, 23.9 ± 3.19, and 23.5 ± 3.55 mm, respectively, whereas, the diameter measured at surgery was 23.7 ± 2.99 mm. Predicted aortic annulus diameter measured by multidetector computed tomography best agreed with that measured at surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the aortic annulus diameter, measured by multidetector computed tomography, is the best modality to measure the aortic annulus diameter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic and General Surgery, Faculty of Medical University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan. yanomitsu@mac.com
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Kunihide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagahama
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onitsuka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media