Joon-Won Kang MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Tae-Hwan Lim MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Dong Hyun Yang MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Bicuspid aortic valves are associated with aortopathy that predisposes to aortic catastrophes. We aimed to classify the types of the aortopathy and the association with the clinical parameters.

Cardiac CT and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) of 168 subjects were analyzed. The diameters of the aorta were measured at 10 levels on CT. The types of aortopathy were assessed using agglomerative hierarchic clustering. Frequency of each type was assessed. The differences of clinical and TTE parameters among the types of aortopathy were evaluated.

Cluster analysis showed 4 types of aortic dilatation: type 0, normal (n=45), type 1, dilatation of the aortic root (n=34); type 2, dilatation of the tubular ascending aorta (n= 40); type 3, diffuse dilatation (n=49). BAV with anterior-posterior cusp type was in 95 patients (56.5%) and right-left cusp type was in 73 (43.5%). AS more than mild grade was found in 86 patients (51.2%). AR was in 33(19.6%). Age, sex, frequency of AS or AR, and the type of BAV were significantly different among the types of aortopathy. Age of type 3 was significantly older than the other types and the age of 0 and 1 was younger than 2 or 3. AR is more frequent in type 0 and 1, and AS is more frequent in 2 and 3. BAV with left-right type was more frequent in type 3.

In this cross-sectional study, there are variable types of aortopathy of BAV. The age of the patients, type of BAV, and aortic valve disease are associated with the types of aortopathy.

Types of aortopathy are associated with the clinical parameters and longitudial follow-ups for  chronological changes among the types of the aortopathy are required.

Kang, J, Lim, T, Yang, D, The Aortopathy of Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Evaluation of Variable Types and Characteristics Using MDCT.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11010420.html