title: Impact of Chronic Rheumatic Valve Diseases on Large Vessels.
abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM OF STUDY: Rheumatic valvular heart disease, which remains a common health problem in developing countries, has numerous consequences on the heart chambers and circulation. The study aim was to investigate the effects of chronic rheumatic valve disease on the diameters of the descending aorta (DA) and inferior vena cava (IVC).
  
  METHODS: A total of 88 patients with echocardiographically documented rheumatic valvular heart disease and 112 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. All patients underwent detailed echocardiographic examinations, while their height and body weight were recorded and adjusted to their body surface area.
  
  RESULTS: The most common involvement was mitral valve disease, followed by aortic valve disease and tricuspid valve disease. The mean diameter of the DA (indexed to BSA) was 1.79 ± 0.49 cm for patients and 1.53 ± 0.41 for controls (p <0.001). The mean diameter of the IVC (indexed to BSA) was 1.69 ± 0.73 for patients and 1.38 ± 0.35 cm for controls (p <0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between mitral valve mean gradient and IVC diameter (p = 0.01, r = 0.18). There were also strong associations between the mitral valve area and the diameters of the DA (p = 0.001, r = -0.239) and IVC (p <0.001, r = -0.246).
  
  CONCLUSION: Rheumatic valve disease, especially mitral stenosis, was closely related to remodeling of the great vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Altunbas
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuce
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Davutoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.affiliation: Department Anatomy, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nese
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kizilkan
authors.affiliation: Department Internal Medicine, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muhammet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilici
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging