New observations on the etiology of removed aortic valves: a surgical, pathologic, and echocardiography study

• Grant number: 08/10101-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2009
• End date: June 30, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Roney Orismar Sampaio
• Grantee: Walter Amorim de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto do Coração Professor Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini (INCOR). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Aortic valve disease is increasing with the aging of the world population. The increase in the number of aortic valvopathy cases is traditionally related to the arteriosclerotic disease. However, recent studies have observed a great prevalence of congenital aortic diseases, moreover in developed nations2. Therefore, it is possible the traditional relation between degenerative etiology and elderly age could not be as linear as observed in previous studies. Then, the causes of aortic stenosis are likely to be different among different populations. There are no recent national studies investigating this issue as comparing anatomy pathology, echocardiographic, and surgery data regarding this valve. Several patients could have been diagnosed with a degenerative disease, while in fact, they carry aortic valve disease of congenital origin, expressing very little anatomic modification which allows them a very long natural history of the disease. As these patients have surgery indications later in their lives, a bias factor amongst their etiologies could exist. Our main hypothesis is that many reported cases of degenerative or rheumatic diseases are in fact from congenital disease. Therefore, our main objective is to compare etiopathogenic previous findings, intraoperative and anatomopathologic findings of aortic valve disease bearers aiming to establish differences between methods and their appliance in the diagnoses and treatment. In order to this study, excised aortic valves in cardiac surgeries during 12 months in our institution will be studied (average number of 350 valves). All data gathered will be allocated in a data-base for posterior statistic analysis.(AU)