Cor Vasa 2006, 48(5):173-178 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2006.055

Contrast exercise echocardiography in asymptomatic severe chronic aortic regurgitation.

Tomáš Marek^1,*, Petr Frídl¹, Petr Lupínek¹, Věra Lánská², Josef Kautzner¹

¹ Klinika kardiologie

² Statistické oddělení, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika

Background:
Prediction of resting systolic dysfunction or progression of symptoms during a follow-up period of 18 months in asymptomatic men with chronic severe aortic regurgitation and left ventricular dilatation meeting the criteria for conservative treatment.

Methods:
49 men with asymptomatic chronic severe aortic regurgitation without cardiac or extracardiac diseases underwent contrast exercise echocardiography. Left ventricular parameters were measured by echocardiography at rest and during exercise along with assessment of exercise tolerance data. The information was used to predict development of symptoms and/or systolic dysfunction during follow-up.

Results:
Echocardiographic parameters obtained at rest were not capable of identifying at-risk patients. Exercise parameters proved to be better predictors; specifically, a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction during exercise was capable of predicting symptoms by more than 6%, with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 76%.

Conclusions:
Contrast exercise echocardiography has the potential to identify at-risk male patients with asymptomatic chronic severe aortic regurgitation meeting the current criteria for conservative treatment.

Keywords: Chronic aortic regurgitation; Contrast exercise echocardiography

Published: May 1, 2006  Show citation