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Published on: December 13, 2019
Morphometric evaluation of the left atrioventricular valve complex and its clinical relations
Buse Naz Çandır1,2, Çağla Ergin3, Kader Yılar4
1Department of Anatomy, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Türkiye. busenazcandir@gmail.com.
Insights
This study analyzed the left atrioventricular valve complex (LAVC) components in 120 human hearts. Specific measurements identified key diagnostic criteria for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Cardiology
- Forensic Medicine
Background:
- The left atrioventricular valve complex (LAVC) comprises the fibrous ring, mitral leaflets, tendinous cords, and papillary muscles.
- Understanding the morphometric and morphological characteristics of LAVC components is crucial for clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To morphometrically and morphologically evaluate the components of the left atrioventricular valve complex (LAVC).
- To establish clinical relationships and diagnostic criteria for cardiovascular disease (CVD) based on LAVC measurements.
Main Methods:
- Examination of 120 human hearts from individuals aged 30 years and older, within 24 hours post-mortem.
- Detailed morphometric measurements of LAVC components, including annular dimensions, leaflet size, and papillary muscle characteristics.
- Analysis of LAVC measurements in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) status and demographic factors.
Main Results:
- Established reference values for LAVC components.
- Identified specific thresholds for body mass index, heart weight, heart height/width ratio, mitral valve width, left ventricular wall thickness, annular area, and annular diameter as diagnostic criteria for CVD.
Conclusions:
- The study provides essential anatomical data for the LAVC.
- Findings offer valuable insights for the diagnosis and surgical planning of cardiovascular conditions.
- The identified diagnostic criteria can aid clinicians in assessing CVD risk.
Background:
This study aims to evaluate morphometrically and morphologically the left fibrous ring, mitral leaflets, tendinous cords, and papillary muscles, which are the components of the left atrioventricular valve complex (LAVC), and to reveal their clinical relationships.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 120 human hearts were examined at the Forensic Medicine Institute. The study included cases aged 30 years and older, less than 24 hours post-mortem. Heart length, width, height/width ratio, anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of the annulus, annular area, length and width of leaflets, number and attachment sites of tendinous cords, number, shape, length, the width of papillary muscles, and distances to various points were recorded to determine their spatial configurations. Additionally, the measurement data of LAVC components in cases with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD) and their relationships with the demographic characteristics of the cases were also explained.
Results:
In the diagnostic performance test (ROC analysis), it was determined that body mass index ( > 26.7), heart weight ( > 414 g), heart height/width ratio (≤ 1.24), mitral valve width ( > 99.96 mm), left ventricular wall thickness ( > 15.08 mm), annular area ( > 619.37 mm²), and mediolateral diameter of the annulus ( > 30.71 mm) are important diagnostic criteria in determining CVD if they are outside the specified reference values.
Conclusions:
This study provides anatomical information about LAVC, along with recommendations for diagnosis and surgical treatment planning. We believe that our findings will be useful to clinicians.

