Journal of Clinical Medicine (Jul 2021)

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Is Associated with Less Coronary Calcium and Coronary Artery Disease Burden

  • Gudrun Feuchtner,
  • Sven Bleckwenn,
  • Leon Stoessl,
  • Fabian Plank,
  • Christoph Beyer,
  • Nikolaos Bonaros,
  • Thomas Schachner,
  • Thomas Senoner,
  • Gerlig Widmann,
  • Can Gollmann-Tepeköylü,
  • Johannes Holfeld,
  • Wolfgang Dichtl,
  • Fabian Barbieri

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10143070
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 14
p. 3070

Abstract

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(1) Background. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is associated with genetic defects (NOTCH 1, GATA 5) and aortopathy. Differences in the flow patterns and a genetic predisposition could also affect coronary arteries. The objective was to assess the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) burden by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with BAV stenosis, as compared to stenotic tricuspid aortic valves (TAV). (2) Methods. A retrospective case–control study. A total of 47 patients with BAV stenosis (68.9 years ± 12.9, 38.3% females) who underwent CTA were matched with 47 TAV stenosis patients for age, gender, smoking, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, body-mass-index and chronic kidney disease. (3) Results. The coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was lower in BAV (237.4 vs. 1013.3AU; p TM: p p p 50% stenosis) by CTA was more frequently observed in patients with TAV (68.1%; p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions and Relevance. Patients with BAV stenosis have markedly less coronary calcium and less severe coronary stenosis. CTA succeeds to rule out obstructive CAD in the majority of BAV, with adherent implications for TAVR planning.

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