BACKGROUND: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is routinely used to evaluate aortic valve stenosis. However, it does not give reliable results in every patient. There is growing interest in electron-beam tomography (EBT) as a noninvasive cardiac imaging technique. The usefulness of EBT to evaluate aortic stenosis has yet to be evaluated. AIM: To compare EBT with TTE in assessing severity of aortic stenosis. METHODS: In total 47 patients (18 females, 29 males) underwent a contrast-enhanced EBT scan and TTE within 6±20 days. The calcium score of the aortic valve was determined and the aortic valve area (AVA) was measured by planimetry. A complete TTE study, during which the peak pressure gradient across the aortic valve was measured, was performed in all patients by an experienced sonographer. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between AVA assessed by EBT and peak pressure gradient (r=-0.38, p=0.009). The calcium score of the aortic valve assessed by EBT correlated with peak pressure gradient (r=0.48, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: EBT is a useful noninvasive method to evaluate the severity of aortic stenosis. It holds the possibility of assessing the AVA as well as quantification of the degree of calcification.
BACKGROUND: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is routinely used to evaluate aortic valve stenosis. However, it does not give reliable results in every patient. There is growing interest in electron-beam tomography (EBT) as a noninvasive cardiac imaging technique. The usefulness of EBT to evaluate aortic stenosis has yet to be evaluated. AIM: To compare EBT with TTE in assessing severity of aortic stenosis. METHODS: In total 47 patients (18 females, 29 males) underwent a contrast-enhanced EBT scan and TTE within 6±20 days. The calcium score of the aortic valve was determined and the aortic valve area (AVA) was measured by planimetry. A complete TTE study, during which the peak pressure gradient across the aortic valve was measured, was performed in all patients by an experienced sonographer. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between AVA assessed by EBT and peak pressure gradient (r=-0.38, p=0.009). The calcium score of the aortic valve assessed by EBT correlated with peak pressure gradient (r=0.48, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: EBT is a useful noninvasive method to evaluate the severity of aortic stenosis. It holds the possibility of assessing the AVA as well as quantification of the degree of calcification.
Authors: David Messika-Zeitoun; Marie-Christine Aubry; Delphine Detaint; Lawrence F Bielak; Patricia A Peyser; Patrick F Sheedy; Stephen T Turner; Jerome F Breen; Christopher Scott; A Jamil Tajik; Maurice Enriquez-Sarano Journal: Circulation Date: 2004-07-12 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: B F Stewart; D Siscovick; B K Lind; J M Gardin; J S Gottdiener; V E Smith; D W Kitzman; C M Otto Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 1997-03-01 Impact factor: 24.094
Authors: R Rosenhek; T Binder; G Porenta; I Lang; G Christ; M Schemper; G Maurer; H Baumgartner Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2000-08-31 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: R O Bonow; B Carabello; A C de Leon; L H Edmunds; B J Fedderly; M D Freed; W H Gaasch; C R McKay; R A Nishimura; P T O'Gara; R A O'Rourke; S H Rahimtoola; J L Ritchie; M D Cheitlin; K A Eagle; T J Gardner; A Garson; R J Gibbons; R O Russell; T J Ryan; S C Smith Journal: Circulation Date: 1998-11-03 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Heyder Omran; Harald Schmidt; Matthias Hackenbroch; Stefan Illien; Peter Bernhardt; Giso von der Recke; Rolf Fimmers; Sebastian Flacke; Günter Layer; Christoph Pohl; Berndt Lüderitz; Hans Schild; Torsten Sommer Journal: Lancet Date: 2003-04-12 Impact factor: 79.321