M. Espinal et al., Sensitivity and specificity of transesophageal echocardiography for determination of aortic valve morphology, AM HEART J, 139(6), 2000, pp. 1071-1076
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
Background Preoperative recognition of the presence of bicuspid aortic valv
e can be important in the planning of procedures. Multiplane transesophagea
l echocardiography may allow more accurate detection of valvular morphology
than does biplane transesophageal echocardiography.
Methods and Results The studies of 710 patients who subsequently underwent
valvular or aortic surgery were reviewed in a blinded fashion. The inclusio
n criteria were adequate short-axis view and operative note confirmation of
aortic valve morphology. Six hundred eight patients were submitted to furt
her analysis. Four hundred three patients had aortic stenosis as the primar
y diagnosis. Three hundred sixty patients had biplane examinations and 248
had multiplane examinations. The sensitivity and specificity of the multipl
ane technique in assessing aortic valve morphology (bicuspid vs tricuspid v
alve) was 87% and 91%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the
biplane technique was 66% and 56%, respectively. Whether valves were calci
fied or not did not result in major changes in sensitivity and specificity
for either technique.
Conclusions Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography provides a more acc
urate assessment of preoperative aortic valve morphology than does the bipl
ane approach in the majority of patients.