Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Aortic Root Morphology in Hispanic Patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Medical Genetics

Background:

• Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a common congenital heart anomaly associated with aortic abnormalities.
• Existing research highlights interracial differences in BAV disease between Caucasian and African-American patients.
• The anatomical and clinical spectrum of BAV in Hispanic populations remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate aortic valve and aortic root morphology in Hispanic patients diagnosed with BAV.
• To compare aortic dimensions and aortopathy patterns between Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals with BAV.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of heart operations (April 2008-June 2013) involving aortic valve replacement (AVR) for BAV.
• Echocardiogram analysis to compare cusp morphology, valvular function, and ascending aorta dimensions.
• Stratification of patients into Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups for comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• A total of 291 patients (159 Hispanic, 132 non-Hispanic) were analyzed.
• The most prevalent cusp morphology in both groups was right and left coronary cusp fusion (82%).
• While Hispanics showed a larger aortic annulus diameter, this difference was not statistically significant after adjustments; aortopathy was similarly present in 42.7% of all patients.

Conclusions:

• Hispanic patients with BAV exhibit comparable aortic valve morphology and function to other ethnic groups.
• The prevalence and patterns of aortopathy in Hispanic patients with BAV are similar to non-Hispanic individuals.
• Findings suggest that ethnicity does not significantly alter the aortic phenotype in BAV disease.