A unique case of "double-orifice aortic valve"-comprehensive assessment by 2-, 3-dimensional, and color Doppler echocardiography.
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a powerful imaging tool for the comprehensive assessment of valvular structure and function. TEE may be of added benefit when anatomy is difficult to delineate accurately by transthoracic echocardiography. In this article, we present 2-, 3-dimensional, and color Doppler TEE images from a male patient with aortic stenosis. A highly unusual and complex pattern of valvular calcification created a functionally "double-orifice" valve. Such an abnormality may have implications for the accuracy of continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography, which assumes a single orifice valve in native aortic valves.
Department of Cardiology, Wessex Cardiac Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
James E
JE
Stirrup
Department of Cardiology, Wessex Cardiac Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Peter J
PJ
Cowburn
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Wessex Cardiac Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Dimitrios
D
Pousios
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Wessex Cardiac Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Sunil K
SK
Ohri
Department of Cardiology, Wessex Cardiac Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom. benoy.shah@uhs.nhs.uk.
Benoy N
BN
Shah
D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods
Doppler; aortic stenosis; calcification; echocardiography