[Comparison of echocardiography and phonomecanography in adult aortic valve stenosis. 55 cases]

Abstract

The results of echocardiography and phonomecanography were compared in 55 cases of adult valvular aortic stenosis. Although the most reliable echocardiographic sign of the severity of stenosis is the systolic separation of the aortic valve echos, it should be amphasised that: -- this cannot be measured in 25 % cases; --in 10 % cases the values obtained vary with the angle of the transducer. In these cases, the finding of a left ventricular posterior wall thickness greater than or equal to 15 mm is specific for severe aortic stenosis. On the other hand, the left atrial, left ventricular and aortic internal dimensions and the morphology of the mitral leaflets do not help in the estimation of the severity of adult aortic stenosis. The best correlations between echo and phonocardiography are the values of aortic valve opening and : --hemi-ascension time (r = 0.67); --left ventricular ejectiontime (r = 0.93) when patients in cardiac failure are excluded. The complementary nature of these two investigations is notable, and should, in pure aortic stenosis without angina, spare patients who are often elderly and fragile from heamodynamic investigation.