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Aortic Stenosis: Teaching Course
Aortic Stenosis: Teaching Course
Teaching Course
Andreea Calin
Carol Davila University of Medicine
Euroecolab, Bucharest, Romania
Introduction
• Significant aortic stenosis is present in 2-5% of pts > 65 yrs - the
most frequent heart valve disease and an important cause of
morbidity and mortality
- In pts ≥85 years the adjusted rate of
surgical AVR rose from 48 to 91 per
100 000 person-years during 1999-
2011
- Clinical decision making process -
more difficult
Ross J Jr, Braunwald E. Circulation. 1968;38:61–67.
Bonow RO, Greenland P. Circulation. 2015;17;131(11):969-71.
Barreto-Filho JA, et at. JAMA. 2013;310:2078–2085.
Imaging in aortic stenosis
• Echocardiography is the key imaging modality used to assess AS
severity and plays a crucial role in the decision making process
Ø Quantitation of AS severity
goes beyond standard
parameters and an
integrative approach is
currently recommended
Ø Stress echo, 3D echo, CMR,
multislice CT are required in
certain patients
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017;18:254–275.
Agenda
• Assessment of AS severity
• Prediction of outcome – risk stratification
• Timing of valvular intervention
• Choice of therapeutic intervention (surgical versus transcatheter
AVR)
• Guiding of transcatheter intervention
• Long term follow up
Clinical case 1
§ 66 y.o. hypertensive patient, diagnosed
with asymptomatic calcific AS
§ negative ECG exercise test 4 months
before current admission – no
symptoms/BP fall
§ exertional dyspnea in the past 2 months
§ BNP 120 pg/ml
Clinical case 1
Peak velocity = 3.9 m/s
Mean G = 33 mmHg
AVA = 1 cm2
LVOTd=25
mm
Peak velocity = 5
m/s Multi-window interrogation of
Mean G = 67 mmHg the aortic jet is mandatory in all
AVA = 0.8 cm2 pts with AS!
Severe symptomatic AS
• A straightforward case of symptomatic severe AS with a clear
indication of AVR
• Role of echocardiography beyond AS severity assessment:
– Associated valvular lesions
- Type and complexity of the
– Ascending aorta therapeutic intervention
– LV geometry and function - Outcome prediction
– LA size (and function)
– RV function
– Systolic pulmonary pressure
Clinical case 1
Ascending aorta 50 mm
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J, (2017) 38, 2739–2786.
Clinical case 1
Concentric geometries are associated with increased
risk for in-hospital mortality after AVR
Increased RWT is associated with adverse outcomes
In-Hospital Postoperative Mortality and Morbidities
Related to Increasing Relative Wall Thickness
Indexed LV mass191 g/m2, RWT =
0,62
Concentric LV hypertrophy
Duncan AI, et al. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008;85:2030–9.
Clinical case 1
LVEDV 119 ml, LVESV 58 ml, LVEF 52% LV GLS -10%
- LVEF it is not a good measure of myocardial - GLS is a useful tool in the
contractility, mainly determined by radial function, assessment of subclinical LV
which can be preserved for a long time, even in the dysfunction in AS
presence of subendocardial fibrosis
Herrmann S, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58:402–12.
GLS in symptomatic AS – outcome
after AVR
- 125 pts with severe AS, LVEF > 40%, divided
into 4 groups according to GLS quartiles
GLS (%) LVEF (%)
−20.0±1.6% 58±8
−16.9±0.7% 55±6
In patients with symptomatic
−14.3±0.9% 55±7 severe AS undergoing AVR
−10.3±1.4% 50±7 reduced GLS provides
important prognostic
information beyond
standard risk factors.
Survival from MACE as a function of the level of GLS adjusted for Dahl JS et al. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012;5:613–20.
EuroScore, LVEF, known history of ischemic heart disease
Kearney LG, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012;13:827–33.
GLS in asymptomatic AS
§ The assessment of LV longitudinal deformation would be suitable for
timing of intervention in asymptomatic patients with AS
§ An excess risk of death, symptoms or AVR were demonstrated in
asymptomatic pts with reduced GLS
§ GLS may provide prognostic information incremental to other clinical and
echocardiographic variables
§ Inconsistent algorithms used by different echocardiographic systems,
limited outcome data – its clinical utility remains insufficiently defined
Lancellotti P, et al. Heart. 2010 Sep;96(17):136
Yingchoncharoen, T, et al. Circ. Cardiovasc. Imaging 5, 719–72
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging
2017;18:254–275.
Clinical case 1
General
population
LV diastolic LV longitudinal dysfunctio
dysfunction
Myocardial fibrosis
- severity of myocardial - impairment of GLS is associated
fibrosis by LGE correlates with with the extent of replacement
the degree of diastolic myocardial fibrosis assessed by
dysfunction in a broad range LGE CMR
of cardiac conditions
Weidemann F, et al. Circulation
Moreo A, et al. Cardiovascular Imaging. 2009;2:437-443.
2009;120:577–584.
Hoffmann, R, et al. Am. J. Cardiol. 114, 1083
–1088.
LV myocardial replacement fibrosis
Midwall fibrosis:
-an independent predictor
of all cause mortality in AS
-not reversible after AVR
(no change in the degree of
LGE 9 months after AVR)
-The adverse prognosis
associated with midwall
fibrosis persists after AVR
Dweck MR, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol; Weidemann F, et al. Circulation
2009;120:577–584.
2011;58:1271–9.
Diffuse myocardial fibrosis
- Diffuse myocardial fibrosis (DMF) - an early phenomenon preceding focal
scarring
- Noninvasive detection and quantification of DMF is possible using
different CMR techniques with or without contrast
- The degree of DMF is correlated with the severity of valve stenosis and
the extent of ventricular remodeling in patients with AS
- The presence and extent of DMF adds incremental prognostic value over
known prognostic factors (smaller AVA, higher EuroSCORE II, and the
presence of LGE) Flett AS, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012 Oct;13(10):819-26.
Chin CWL et al. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017 Nov;10(11):1320-1333.
Lee H, et al. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017 Nov 10, in press.
Clinical case 1
-No significant coronary stenoses
-Bentall procedure successfully
performed
-1 year follow up: no symptoms
-Decreased indexed LVmass and
RWT
LVEF 62% LV GLS -14%
-Longitudinal LV dysfunction and
diastolic dysfunction still present
An earlier AVR intervention
would have been associated
with a better postoperative LV
reverse remodeling? E/e’ = 16
Asymptomatic AS
§ We need objective markers to assist risk stratification of asymptomatic
pts with AS and to identify high-risk patients before LVEF declines
§ Predictors of symptom development and adverse outcomes in
asymptomatic patients with severe AS include a series of
echocardiographic parameters:
§ valve calcification, peak aortic jet velocity, rate of haemodynamic
progression
§ excessive LV hypertrophy, LVEF, GLS
Rosenhek R, et al. N Engl J Med 2000;343:611–617.
§ increase in mean transvalvular gradient >20 mmHg with exercise
Cioffi G, et al. Heart 2011;97:301–307.
§ pulmonary hypertension Dahl JS, et al. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2012;5:613–620.
Zlotnick DM, et al. Am J Cardiol 2013;112:1635–1640.
Asymptomatic AS – indications for
surgery
The single parameter of LV function
recommended for decision making in
ESC Guidelines 2017 asymptomatic AS
I C - Systolic LV dysfunction (LVEF <50%) not due to another cause
I C - Abnormal exercise test showing symptoms on exercise clearly related to AS
IIa C - Abnormal exercise test showing a decrease in blood pressure below baseline.
IIa C - Very severe aortic stenosis defined by a Vmax > 5.5 m/s
IIa C - Severe valve calcification and a rate of Vmax progression ≥ 0.3 m/s/year
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J, (2017) 38, 2739–2786.
Asymptomatic AS – indications for
surgery
ESC Guidelines 2012 ESC Guidelines 2017
IIb C Markedly elevated BNP levels IIa C - Up graded - Markedly elevated BNP
levels (>3X age- and sex-corrected normal
range) confirmed by repeated measurements
without other explanations
IIb C Increase of mean pressure gradient with Taken out
exercise by >20 mmHg
IIb C Excessive LV hypertrophy in the absence Taken out
of hypertension.
IIa C - New recommendation - Severe
pulmonary hypertension (systolic PAP at rest
>60 mmHg confirmed by invasive
Vahanian A, et al. Eur Heart J, (2012) 33, 2451–2496. measurement) without other explanation.
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J, (2017) 38, 2739–2786.
Clinical case 2
• 72 yrs old female
patient
• hypertensive
• NYHA class III
• H = 1.63 m, BSA 1.7
m2
Peak velocity = 3.4 m/s
MeanG = 30 mmHg
Clinical case 2
Step 1:
velocity/gradient
Step 2: AVA for low
gradient AS
Clinical case 2
Step 1:
velocity/gradient
Step 2: AVA for low
gradient AS
DLVOT = 20 mm
VTILVOT = 18 cm
VTIAo = 91 cm
AVA = 0.6 cm2
Clinical case 2
Step 1:
velocity/gradient
Step 2: AVA for low
gradient AS
DLVOT = 20 mm Step 3: exclude
VTILVOT = 18 cm measurement errors
- Underestimation of
LVOT diameter
- Underestimation of
transaortic flow
VTIAo = 91 cm (falsely reduced
AVA = 0.6 cm2 meanG)
Clinical case 2
LVSVi 33 ml/m2 Step 1:
velocity/gradient
Step 2: AVA for low
gradient AS
Step 3: exclude
measurement errors
Step 4: Flow status
Step 5: LVEF
Clinical case 2
LVSVi 33 ml/m2 Step 1:
velocity/gradient
Step 2: AVA for low
gradient AS
Step 3: exclude
measurement errors
Step 4: Flow status
Step 5: LVEF
Extensive further
evaluation
Low gradient AS with normal LVEF
-Mixed population including pts with severe and moderate AS
-Potential sources of error:
Systolic BP < 140 mmHg –
• Measurement errors included in the definition
• Severe hypertension during examination of LFLG AS in the ACC
• Inconsistency between AVA and gradient cut-offsguidelines
• Small body size
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017;18:254–275.
Courtesy of Prof. Bogdan Popescu Willson AB, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Apr 3;59(14):1287-94.
Clinical case 2
TOE • In the presence of low flow, the valve leaflets may
LVOTd = 20 mm not be completely open - both the anatomic and
AVA (planimetry) = 0.7 cm2 effective AVAs may be pseudosevere
0.8/3.35 = 0.23
Low gradient AS with normal LVEF
- Low flow state
• concomitant severe mitral regurgitation/stenosis, tricuspid
regurgitation
• atrial fibrillation, severe pulmonary hypertension with RV dysfunction
• specific pattern of LV remodelling
- severe LV concentric remodelling (RWT >0.5), small LV (end-diastolic volume
DLVOT= 26 mm VTI
index <55 mL/m2) LVOT= 22 cm
- restrictive LV diastolic filling pattern
- subtle systolic dysfunction - reduced GLS (<16%), increased subendocardial
fibrosis
- increased valvuloarterial impedance Dumesnil JG, Pibarot P, Carabello B. Eur Heart J 2010;31:281–9.
Herrmann S, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58:402–412.
Clinical case 2
LVEDVi = 40 ml/m2
RWT = 0.65
GLS = -14%
Low gradient AS with normal LVEF
Criteria that increase the likelihood of severe AS in pts with LGAS and preserved LVEF
√
√
√
√ AVR was successfully
√ performed in our
patient
Step 6: calcium score by
CT
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017;18:254–275.
Calcium score by MDCT
§ Highly accurate and reproducible method to
quantitate aortic valve calcification
§ Independent of hemodynamics/flow – applicable to all
pts with LG AS
§ 50% of pts with tight AVA but low gradient present
with severe AVC load, consistent with severe calcified
AS
Cueff C, et al. Heart 2011;97:721– 6.
Clavel M-A, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013;62:2329–38.
Calcium score by MDCT
-Women present with lower AVC load compared to men at similar AS severity
-AVC load link to severe AS should be different and lower for women vs men
Aggarwal SR, et al. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2013;6:40–7.
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017;18:254
–275.
Calcium score by MDCT - limitations
§ Reflects anatomic rather than hemodynamic severity
§ Does not take into account valvular fibrosis and may underestimate AS
severity
- women have less valvular calcification but more fibrosis compared to men
- younger patients with bicuspid valves may have severe AS with no or little
valve calcification
§ Only a high calcium score can ascertain severe AS
§ There is a relatively wide intermediate grey zone – the calcium score
cannot give the final answer by itself and can only be one important piece
Simard L, et al. Circ Res. 2017 Feb 17;120(4):681-691.
of information within an integrated approach
Baumgartner H, et al. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017;18:254–275.
Conclusions
• Haemodynamic quantitation of AS severity must go beyond basic
parameters and include the assessment of transvalvular flow and
LV function
• Echocardiography remains the first-line imaging modality of
choice for grading of AS and outcome prediction
• Other techniques provide supplementary information and may
aid clinical decision-making in certain clinical scenarios