Echocardiographic manifestation of annuloaortic ectasia: its "paradoxical" motion of the aorta and premature systolic closure of the aortic vale.

The echocardiographic features of annuloaortic ectasia were studied in 12 patients. Eleven of them exhibited skeletal and/or ophthalmic findings of Marfan's syndrome and one was considered as having forme fruste. Echocardiograms revealed not only marked dilatation of the aortic root but also unique motion of the aortic wall and aortic valve. Posterior motion of the posterior aortic wall during early to middle ejection period, i.e., "paradoxical" motion, was noted in eight cases, and premature systolic partial closure of the aortic valve was seen in all cases.