[Collapse of the aortic valve in dilated myocardiopathies: echocardiographic study]

In order to clarify the early systolic partial closure (notching) of aortic valve in patients (pts) with dilated cardiomyopathy (DC), authors (AA) evaluated the M-mode echocardiograms corresponding to 41 pts with DC. Pts were separated in two groups, according to the presence of systolic notching: group A (18 pts) presenting systolic notching; group B (23 pts) in which no systolic notching was observed. For each group, the same echocardiographic parameters were evaluated related to aortic root, left atrium, left ventricule (LV), aortic valve and mitral valve. Both groups were compared statistically. Results--Group A presented a reduced motion of aortic root and greater initial maximal aortic cuspids separation. AA therefore conclude that in pts with DC the systolic notching has no eventual relation with mitral regurgitation. In this setting no conclusions about LV function can be inferred, and it is suggested that systolic notching may bear some relation with differences in the distribution of transvalvular aortic flow.