An echocardiographic approach to the assessment of aortic stenosis.

An accurate echocardiographic assessment of aortic stenosis is critical for the cost-effective diagnosis and management of patients with the clinical suspicion of this diagnosis. Although the concepts involved in the echocardiographic determination of aortic pressure gradients and valve areas are relatively simple, acquisition of the data required to perform these calculations can at times be technically challenging. After reviewing the clinical signs and symptoms and the hemodynamics of aortic stenosis, this article reviews in detail the technical aspects involved in obtaining accurate gradients and valve areas emphasizing potential pitfalls.