Abstract

Aortic valve calcification using multislice CT

Author(s): Jean-Pierre Laissy, David Messika-Zeitoun, Caroline Cueff, Nicoletta Pasi, Jean-Michel Serfaty and Alec Vahanian

The presence of aortic valve calcifications has been known for many years, but knowledge of their development and relationship with aortic valve stenosis is relatively recent and has been studied extensively with the use of multislice CT (MSCT). The calcium burden shown with MSCT is well correlated with the degree of hemodynamic severity and anatomic surface of aortic stenosis. MSCT is also useful for monitoring valvular calcifications, by evaluating the progression of the disease and the effect of treatments. In parallel, simultaneous MSCT assessment of coronary artery and mitral valve calcifications can help achieve a better overview of the risks of cardiovascular events in these patients.