Aortic valve stenosis is the most frequent type of vascular heart disease in Europe and North America [1]. The degree of aortic stenosis is quantified with reduction of aortic valve area (AVA) [2]. Echocardiography is the current standard in aortic stenosis evaluation [3], but only one axis of elliptical aortic annulus can be measured. CT angiography (CTA) offers direct aortic annulus visualization in different phases of the cardiac cycle, allowing measuring all its dimensions. The aim of this study was to compare aortic annulus dimensions...

Population: Between February 2013 and September 2015 there were 82 patients (39 female, 43 male) referred for pre-TAVI evaluation of aortic root, these were retrospectively evaluated in this study. Aortic annulus measurements: Aortic annulus dimensions (short diameter, long diameter, annulus area) were measured at the level of the annulus. Transthoracic Echocardiography: Doppler transthoracic echocardiography (Philips IE33 Ultrasound, Philips Medical Systems, Best, the Netherlands) was performed by an experienced cardiologist at the cardiology department. To calculate the AVA in echocardiography left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) diameter...

Mean aortic annulus diameter assessed in echocardiography was 2,12 ± 0,22 cm. Mean short annulus diameter assessed in CTA in the 30% phase was 2,15 ± 0,25 cm. Short aortic annulus diameter measured in the 30% phase in CTA was not significantly different from annulus diameter (LVOT diameter) assessed in echocardiography (p = 0,198). Long aortic annulus diameter and area in 30% phase, and both short and long annulus diameters and area in 10% and 20% phase were significantly different compared to echocardiography (p <...

Short diameter of aortic annulus assessed in the 30% phase of R-R interval in CTA is comparable with LVOT diameter measured in echocardiography and can be placed in the adapted continuity equation in order to establish AVA and aortic stenosis severity.

Iung, B., et al., A prospective survey of patients with valvular heart disease in Europe: The Euro Heart Survey on Valvular Heart Disease. Eur Heart J, 2003. 24(13): p. 1231-43. Lembcke, A., et al., Quantification of aortic valve stenosis: head-to-head comparison of 64-slice spiral computed tomography with transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Invest Radiol, 2009. 44(1): p. 7-14. Joint Task Force on the Management of Valvular Heart Disease of the European Society of, C., et al., Guidelines on the management of valvular heart...