Biphasic Doppler Pattern of the Descending Thoracic Aorta: A New Echocardiographic Finding in Patients with Aortic Valve Stenosis

Abstract

A total of 59 patients (> or = 65 years of age) with normal left ventricular function (ejection fraction > 50%) and varying degrees of aortic valve structure and hemodynamics (normal to severely stenotic) were screened; 50 were subsequently enrolled. Continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in the descending thoracic aorta showed two general patterns: (1) in aortic stenosis, the pattern consisted of two peak systolic velocity components (S1 and S2); and (2) in normal aortic valve function, the pattern was a uniphasic signal with a single peak systolic velocity component. The new Doppler pattern yielded 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity in the detection of clinically significant aortic valve stenosis, and 92% sensitivity and 70% specificity in the detection of severe aortic valve stenosis. Sensitivity was 96% in uniphasic signals during normal aortic valve function by conventional 2-dimensional and Doppler criteria. This article introduces characteristics of this Doppler velocity profile as a new diagnostic finding of aortic valve stenosis.