Biphasic Doppler pattern of the descending thoracic aorta: a new echocardiographic finding in patients with aortic valve stenosis.

Full Abstract

A total of 59 patients (> or = 65 years of age) with normal left ventricular function (ejection fraction > 50%) and varying degrees of aortic valve structure and hemodynamics (normal to severely stenotic) were screened; 50 were subsequently enrolled. Continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in the descending thoracic aorta showed two general patterns: (1) in aortic stenosis, the pattern consisted of two peak systolic velocity components (S1 and S2); and (2) in normal aortic valve function, the pattern was a uniphasic signal with a single peak systolic velocity component. The new Doppler pattern yielded 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity in the detection of clinically significant aortic valve stenosis, and 92% sensitivity and 70% specificity in the detection of severe aortic valve stenosis. Sensitivity was 96% in uniphasic signals during normal aortic valve function by conventional 2-dimensional and Doppler criteria. This article introduces characteristics of this Doppler velocity profile as a new diagnostic finding of aortic valve stenosis.

Author information

Author/s: Hansen, William H (WH); Behrenbeck, Thomas (T); Spittell, Peter C (PC); Gilman, Gregory (G); Seward, James B (JB);

Affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography (J Am Soc Echocardiogr), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2005-Aug; vol 18 (issue 8) : pp 860-4

Dates: Created 2005/08/08; Completed 2006/03/31; Revised 2007/11/02;

PMID: 16084339, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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