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Aortic valve assessment. Anatomical study of 100 healthy human hearts
M B Jatene1, R Monteiro, M H Guimarães
1Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP, Brazil.
Insights
This study analyzed 100 human hearts, revealing variations in aortic valve anatomy. These anatomical details are crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective surgical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Cardiovascular Science
- Surgical Anatomy
Background:
- Aortic valve anatomy is critical for cardiac function and surgical planning.
- Understanding variations in aortic valve morphology aids in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess anatomical characteristics of the aortic valve.
- To provide data useful for diagnostic and surgical treatment of aortic valve conditions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 100 healthy fixed human hearts (84% male, 61% Caucasian).
- Assessed cusp height, lunulae size, intercommissural distances, coronary ostia position, and cusp thickness.
- Correlated measurements with age, sex, and race.
Main Results:
- All hearts had tricuspid aortic valves.
- Left coronary cusp was largest, followed by right and non-coronary cusps.
- Aortic diameter increased with age; no significant sex or race differences.
- Aortic valve annulus showed variations, not a perfect circumference.
Conclusions:
- Aortic valve annulus exhibits anatomical variations.
- Measurements of the annulus, cusps, and their relation to the ventricular septum vary.
- These anatomical insights are valuable for clinical practice.
Purpose:
To assess anatomical characteristics of the aortic valve, so that they may be useful in diagnostic situations and surgical treatment.
Methods:
The study analyzed 100 healthy fixed human hearts; 84% of them obtained from males, 61% of them from Caucasian individuals. The ages of the individuals ranged from 9 to 86 years (mean 30 +/- 15.5 years). The characteristics assessed related to age, sex, and race were the following: number and height of the cusps, size of the lunulae, internal and external intercommissural distance, position of the coronary ostium in relation to the aortic valve, position of the ventricular septum in relation to the aortic valve, thickness of the cusps.
Results:
All hearts assessed had a tricuspidal aortic valve. In regard to the height of the cusps and size of the lunula, the left coronary cusp was larger, followed by the right coronary cusp and the noncoronary cusp. The internal and external intercommissural distances had mean values of 24.6 +/- 5.7 mm and 19.7 +/- 7 mm, respectively. In regard to the position of the coronary ostia, in one heart two ostia emerged from the left coronary sinus, and in another, the ostium was supracommissural. The mean diameter of the aorta was 21.8 +/- 3.6 mm, and there were no significant sexual or racial differences, but the diameter increased progressively with the increase in age. The thickness of the cusps did not show any significant difference in the 3 points assessed.
Conclusion:
The aortic valve annulus did not show a perfect circumference, with some variations in the measurements of the annulus, in the cusps and in the relation with the ventricular septum.