From the Guidelines
The key echocardiography findings in Aortic Stenosis (AS) include a maximum aortic velocity, mean pressure gradient, and valve area, with severe AS characterized by a valve area <1.0 cm2, maximum aortic velocity ≥4 m/s, and mean pressure gradient ≥40 mm Hg, as outlined in the 2020 ACC/AHA guideline for the management of patients with valvular heart disease 1. When evaluating AS severity, it is essential to consider the patient's blood pressure, as measurements made during hypertension may underestimate or overestimate stenosis severity 1. Some key points to consider in the assessment of AS include:
- The degree of aortic valve calcification is a strong predictor of clinical outcome, even when evaluated qualitatively by echocardiography 1.
- Dobutamine stress echocardiography may be useful in distinguishing severe AS with LV systolic dysfunction from primary myocardial dysfunction with moderate AS, by measuring aortic velocity and valve area at baseline and at higher flow rates 1.
- The dimensionless index, or the ratio of left ventricular outflow tract velocity to aortic valve velocity, can also be used to indicate severe stenosis, with a ratio ≤0.25 corresponding to a valve area 25% of normal 1.
- Left ventricular hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction may be present in advanced cases, and accurate assessment requires integration of multiple parameters rather than relying on a single measurement 1. In clinical practice, the assessment of AS severity should prioritize the most recent and highest-quality evidence, and consider the potential impact of comorbidities and concurrent medications on echocardiographic findings 1.
From the Research
Echocardiography Findings in Aortic Stenosis (AS)
There are no research papers provided to assist in answering this question about the key echocardiography (ECHO) findings in Aortic Stenosis (AS). The studies provided are related to acute coronary syndrome and do not discuss Aortic Stenosis.
Related Echocardiography Findings
However, the provided studies discuss the role of echocardiography in evaluating coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome, including:
- Detection of wall motion abnormalities 2, 3, 4
- Assessment of left ventricular function 2, 3, 4
- Identification of segmental wall motion abnormalities 4
- Evaluation of diastolic dysfunction 2, 3
- Use of stress echocardiography and myocardial contrast echocardiography for diagnosis and prognosis 2, 3
- Speckle tracking echocardiography for detecting subtle myocardial damage and localizing ischemic territories 5