Introduction: The authors examined the aortic distensibility indices evaluated by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with ischaemic heart disease and in aortic stenosis cases with normal epicardial coronary arteries.
Patients and methods: 126 consecutive patients with chest pain were enrolled into the study with the following results: 17 patients showed normal epicardial coronary arteries, 23 patients had non-significant coronary artery disease, 44 patients had significant one-vessel disease and 42 patients had significant multivessel disease. Their results were compared to 16 aortic stenosis cases but with negative coronary angiograms. All patients underwent transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography and coronary angiography. During a complete TEE the following data were recorded: systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, systolo-diastolic aortic diameters and intimo-medial thickness. According to these data elastic and Young's moduli were calculated.
Results: The indices of aortic distensibility were significantly increased (the aortic distensibility was decreased) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) as compared to cases with normal epicardial coronary arteries independently the number of affected vessels. In cases of aortic stenosis but with normal epicardial coronary arteries, the aortic distensibility indices were similarly increased as in patients with CAD.
Conclusions: There is a considerable stiffness of the descending aorta of patients with CAD than in cases with normal epicardial coronary arteries. The aortic distensibility of aortic stenosis patients with negative coronary angiograms are similarly decreased that in patients with CAD.