Measurement of the ascending aorta diameter in patients with severe bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve stenosis using dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography

We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography (DSCT-CA) in the measurement of the ascending aorta (AA) diameter and compare the AA diameter in patients with severe bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) stenosis. Eighty-eight consecutive patients (50 men, mean age 60.3 +/- 13 year) with severe aortic stenosis (AS) underwent DSCT-CA before aortic valve surgery. Seventy-four of the 88 patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). The internal diameter of AA was measured from early-systole with DSCT-CA and CMR by 2 radiologists independently at 4 levels (aortic annulus, sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, and tubular portion at the right pulmonary artery). The patients were divided in to 2 groups (BAV [n = 53]; TAV [n = 35]) according to operative findings. Patients with BAV were significantly younger than those with TAV (P = 0.0035). Inter-observer agreement of AA diameters at 4 levels with DSCT-CA and CMR was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.89-0.97). Also, the DSCT-CA and CMR measurements of the AA diameter strongly correlated (r = 0.871-0.976). Mean diameter of the AA by DSCT-CA was significantly larger in patients with BAV (34.4 +/- 8.2 mm) as compared to those with TAV (30.6 +/- 5.5 mm). The diameters at the sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, and tubular portion were significantly larger in BAV than in TAV. Twenty-two of 53 (41.5%) patients with BAV and 2 of 35 (5.7%) patients with TAV had AA dilatation > 45 mm. DSCT-CA allows accurate assessment of the AA diameters in patients with severe AS. Patients with severe BAV stenosis had larger AA diameters and higher prevalence of AA dilatation > 45 mm as compared to those with severe TAV stenosis.