Reliability of two-dimensional echocardiography in assessing the severity of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity851 @entity850 @entity472 @entity340
Two-dimensional echocardiographic studies have shown that maximum long-axis systolic aortic cusp separation (MACS) represents a useful, noninvasive method for estimating severity of @entity340 in adults. Although mean values for @entity1 with mild, moderate, and severe @entity472 have been clearly separated by this method, overlap occurs among individual @entity1 . In this study, 81 adults with @entity472 were studied by two-dimensional echocardiography in the long-axis view. Long-axis assessment of @entity472 was obtainable in 93 percent of the @entity1 . Less than 8-mm separation was 97 percent predictive of severe @entity850 and 100 percent predictive of moderate or severe @entity850 . Eight- to 12-mm had a low predictive value for the severity of @entity850 . Greater than 12-mm separation was 96 percent predictive of mild @entity472 . @entity851 scans were attempted in 61 of the 81 subjects. Short axis assessment of @entity472 based on patterns of leaflet motion was obtainable in 46 of the 61 @entity1 (73 percent) and provided a valuable index of severity. When @entity851 scans were included in the assessment of severity in the subgroup of @entity1 with 8- to 12-mm MACS, the predictive value improved greatly (86 percent vs 46 percent). Direct recording of aortic valve area in @entity851 was successful in only 13 percent of the subjects. The echo aortic valve area compared with the hemodynamic calculated aortic valve area yielded an r = 0.87.
