Echocardiography of the aortic valve. I. Studies of normal aortic valve, aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, and mixed aortic valve disease.

necropsy. The normal aortic valve echocardiogram is described and evidence is given that the anteriorly visualized cusp echoes arefrom the right coronary but those which are posteriorly visualized may befrom the non-coronary or the left coronary cusp. The ultrasound patterns in aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, and mixed aortic valve disease are described. In each case the aortic root diameter was measured and cusp motion and thickness assessed by echocardiography. The ultrasound measurements of the aortic root correlated well with measurements at operation. Seventeen of the patients with aortic valve disease underwent aortic homograft replacement and were also studied after operation. The aortic homograft echocardiograms showed cusp movements indistinguishable from normal aortic valves. It is concluded that echocardiography of the aortic valve is simple to perform, is of value diagnostically, and can contribute to the preand postoperative assessment ofpatients with aortic valve disease.