Distribution patterns of valvular and vascular complications in bicuspid aortic valve: A hospital-based study of 3673 adult Chinese patients

Abstract

For its high occurrence and elevated risks for aortic valve dysfunction and vascular complications, bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) represents a great health challenge. However, the prevalence and clinical features of BAV in the Chinese population are inadequately illustrated. From January 2011 to December 2015, 3,673 BAV patients with 69.1% male predominance were identified among 325,910 recipients of transthoracic echocardiography in our institution, demonstrating 58.4% overt aortic valve dysfunction, 52.5% ascending aortic dilatation, and 19.2% aortic root dilatation. The prevalence of pure aortic stenosis and mixed aortic valve dysfunction rose strikingly with age (both P < 0.0001), while pure aortic regurgitation showed significant decrease with age (P < 0.0001). Males showed elevated prevalence of pure aor-tic regurgitation (OR 3.16, 95% CI 2.55-3.91, P < 0.0001) and mixed aortic valve dysfunction than females (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.23-2.17, P = 0.0008), but lower prevalence of pure aortic stenosis (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.43-0.60, P < 0.0001). Aortic root dilatation was associated with male gender (OR 5.02, 95% CI 3.74-6.74, P < 0.0001), pure aortic regurgitation (OR 2.61, 95% CI 2.15-3.17, P < 0.0001), and right-left (RL) cusp fusion type (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.64-2.40, P < 0.0001). Ascending aortic dilatation was associated with an elder age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.04-1.05, P < 0.0001), pure aortic stenosis (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16-1.61 P = 0.0002), and mixed aortic valve dysfunction (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.89-3.33, P < 0.0001). Bicuspid aortic stenosis and ascending aortic dilatation demonstrate a similar pattern of age escalation, while aortic regurgitation is more prevalent in younger BAV patients. Aortic root dilatation intervenes closely with a unique phenotypic subgroup of male BAV patients with pure aortic regurgitation and RL fusion type.