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Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Comprehensive imaging evaluation of the aortic valve and root before aortic root surgery: a study comparing MDCT and
Yuan Li1, Shuai Zhang1, Hongxia Qi2
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College/National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, No. 167 North Lishi Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100037, China.
Objective:
To investigate the accuracy and consistency of MDCT and TEE in the preoperative assessment of aortic root surgery.
Methods:
From January 2021 to September 2022, 118 patients who underwent aortic root surgery were included in this study. All patients underwent high-quality preoperative MDCT and TEE examinations, and the examination results were independently measured and assessed by two senior radiologists or ultrasound specialists. Bland-Altman analysis and Pearson correlation testing were employed to assess the correlation and consistency between MDCT and TEE. These analyses were then compared with actual intraoperative measurement data.
Results:
Among all the patients, 73 (61.86%) had tricuspid aortic valve (TAV), and 45 (38.14%) had bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). A comparison between the TEE and MDCT measurements showed that for the annulus diameter, the area-derived diameter had the best correlation and agreement. For the sinus of Valsalva diameter, the circumference-derived diameter was optimal. However, for the STJ diameter, the minimum cross-sectional diameter showed the best agreement with TEE. In contrast, measurements of geometric height showed a weaker correlation and agreement.
Conclusion:
Contrast-enhanced MDCT can be a valuable tool for perioperative evaluation in aortic root surgery, with good correlation, consistency, and feasibility when compared to TEE. The choice of MDCT measurement methodology, specifically area-derived and circumference-derived diameter, proved to be more accurate than other methods. Further research is required to enhance the understanding of aortic valve repair and associated imaging techniques.
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