Tissue Doppler Imaging (E/e') and Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis

Although American and European consensus statements advocate using the ratio of the transmitral E velocity and tissue Doppler early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') in the assessment of left-sided heart filling pressures, recent reports have questioned the reliability of this ratio to predict left atrial pressures in a variety of disease states. The authors hypothesized that there is a clinically significant correlation between E/e' and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Retrospective cohort study.

The study comprised 733 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis.

None.

PCWP and E/e'_ave (average of the lateral and medial annulus tissue Doppler velocities) were measured with a pulmonary artery catheter and transthoracic echocardiography during preprocedural evaluation. Patients were grouped by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% and LVEF <50%. Spearman rank correlation, analysis of variance, and t and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data. Seventy-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. There was no significant correlation between E/e'_ave and PCWP (n = 79, Spearman r = 0.096; p = 0.3994). This correlation did not improve when ventricular function was considered (LVEF <50%: n = 11, Spearman r = -0.097; p = 0.776 and LVEF ≥50%: n = 68, Spearman r = 0.116; p = 0.345). There was no statistically significant difference in mean PCWP between each range of E/e'_ave.

A clinically relevant relationship between E/e' and PCWP was not observed in patients with severe aortic stenosis.