Aortic valve adaptation to aortic root dilatation: insights into the mechanism of functional aortic regurgitation from 3-dimensional cardiac computed tomography.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The 3-dimensional relationship between aortic root and cusp is essential to understand the mechanism of aortic regurgitation (AR) because of aortic root dilatation (ARD). We sought to test the hypothesis that the stretched cusps in ARD enlarge to compensate for ARD.

Methods and results

Computed tomography imaged 92 patients (57 with ARD, 29 with moderate to severe AR, 28 without significant AR) and 35 normal controls. Specialized 3-dimensional software measured individual cusp surface areas relative to maximal mid-sinus cross-sectional area and minimal 3-dimensional annular area, coaptation area fraction, and asymmetry of sinus volumes and intercommissural distances. Total open cusp surface area increased (P<0.001) from 7.6±1.4 cm(2)/m(2) in normals to 12.9±2.2 cm

SUBMITTER: Kim DH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4373603 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature