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Low-flow/low-gradient aortic stenosis without contractile reserve-a case report
Lukas Stastny1, Julia Dumfarth1, Guy Friedrich2
1Department of Cardiac surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, Austria.
Insights
Diagnosing low-flow/low-gradient aortic stenosis requires advanced imaging. Dobutamine stress echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography are crucial for accurate assessment and management of this challenging condition.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Low-flow/low-gradient aortic stenosis (LF/LGAS) presents diagnostic challenges.
- Resting echocardiography alone is insufficient for differentiating LF/LGAS subtypes.
- Advanced imaging modalities are essential for comprehensive assessment.
Observation:
- A 73-year-old woman with NYHA III symptoms presented with exertional dyspnea, fatigue, and low resilience.
- Physical examination revealed a systolic murmur over the aortic valve.
- Diagnostic workup identified LF/LGAS without contractile reserve (CR) on dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and significant valve calcification on cardiac computed tomography (CCT).
Findings:
- Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) revealed no contractile reserve (CR).
- Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) demonstrated massive valve calcification.
- The case highlights the necessity of integrating DSE and CCT for LF/LGAS diagnosis.
Implications:
- Current guidelines support treating LF/LGAS patients even without CR, necessitating accurate diagnostic tools.
- This case underscores the importance of advanced imaging in managing complex aortic stenosis.
- Re-evaluation of LF/LGAS prognosis emphasizes the need for precise diagnostic workflows.
Background:
Diagnosis and management of low-flow/low-gradient aortic stenosis are very challenging. Resting echocardiography is not capable of differentiating between different types and origins of low-flow and low-gradient state in aortic valve stenosis. Therefore, dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and cardiac computed tomography (CCT) are necessary. This case report should illustrate the importance of these assessments.
Case Summary:
A 73-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with New York Heart Association III symptoms of exertional dyspnoea. In addition, the patient complained of fatigue and low resilience. On physical examination, auscultation revealed a systolic murmur over the aortic valve. Further diagnostic steps revealed a low-flow/low-gradient aortic valve stenosis (LF/LGAS) without contractile reserve (CR) in DSE and massive valve calcification in CCT.
Discussion:
In this case, we demonstrate the importance of different assessments and workflow. The prognosis of LF/LGAS has been re-evaluated during the last decade and the current guidelines recommend the treatment of such patients even in the absence of CR. Furthermore, we are discussing the results of LF/LGAS.
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