Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.34.1.91 on 1 February 1979. Downloaded from Thorax, 1979, 34, 91-95 Coexistence of asymmetric septal hypertrophy and aortic valve disease in adults M V J RAJ, V SRINIVAS, I M GRAHAM, AND D W EVANS From the Regional Cardiac Unit, Papworth Hospital, Papworth Everard, Cambridge CB3 8RE, UK ABSTRACT Echocardiography detected asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH) in five of 200 adults being assessed for aortic valve surgery. Four of these were among 119 patients with dominant aortic stenosis, which was severe in three. ASH was confirmed at the time of aortic valve replacement in two of these patients; the third declined operation. The finding of ASH in only one of 81 patients with free aortic reflux is consistent with chance association. While the same explanation could apply to the higher prevalence in those with aortic stenosis, it may be that a long-standing pressure overload can trigger inappropriate septal hypertrophy in predisposed individuals. Brock (1957) recorded subaortic hypertrophy in pressure gradients, estimated echocardiographically association with hypertension and postulated its (Bennett et al, 1975) in all, and measured at development in response to chronic left ventri- cardiac catheterisation in 55, ranged from 20 to copyright. cular pressure load from aortic valvar stenosis. 100 mmHg. Of the 118 with gradients higher than Hurst and Logue (1966) suggested, on the basis of 40 mmHg 117 had pressures of a similar order operative and necropsy data, that it might be recorded at operation. One, with a valvar gradient present in about 10% of those with aortic valve of 100 mmHg at rest, refused the offer of surgical disease. Another necropsy study (Parker et al, help. http://thorax.bmj.com/ 1969) yielded ten instances of subaortic hyper- trophy in association with aortic valve stenosis. Table 1 119 patients with dominant aortic stenosis In echocardiography we now have a sensitive method for detecting excessive (asymmetric) septal Age 18-67 yr (mean 47) hypertrophy (ASH) during life (Henry etal, 1973). Sex Men 72 We used it to screen a series of patients under- Women 47 going investigation with a view to aortic valve Aetiology replacement and report our findings with respect Congenital 3 to Calcific 112 on September 25, 2021 by guest. Protected dominance of pressure or volume load on the Unknown 4 left ventricle. Symptoms Dyspnoea 110 Patients and methods Angina 82 Syncope or faintness 40 Congestive heart failure 4 Echocardiography was carried out in 220 adults undergoing assessment for aortic valve replace- ment. Technically satisfactory records could not Of the 81 patients who had free aortic reflux, of be obtained from 20 of them. The remaining 200 varied aetiology, which was thought to be the patients (74 women, 126 men) form the basis of basis of their symptoms (table 2), 80 underwent this study. Their ages ranged from 18 to 67 years aortic valve replacement. In one the investigations (mean 47). None gave a family history suggestive showed only moderately severe reflux, with co- of cardiomyopathy. existing ASH, and operation was not advised. One hundred and nineteen patients had domi- The echocardiograms were recorded with the nant aortic stenosis. Their symptoms and some patients supine, using a Cl 1 transducer with an aetiological details are shown in table 1. Their Ekoline 20 ultrasonoscope and a Cambridge photo- peak systolic-left ventricular-systemic arterial graphic recorder. Echocardiograms showed both 91 Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.34.1.91 on 1 February 1979. Downloaded from 92 M V J Raj, V Srinivas, I M Graham, and D W Evans Table 2 81 patients with aortic reflux surfaces of the interventricular septum (IVS), the posterior basal left ventricular wall (PLVW), and Age 28-66 yr (mean 46) the peak excursion of the mitral leaflets (fig 1). Sex Men 54 Diastolic IVS and PLVW thickness was measured Women 27 at a point in the cardiac cycle immediately before Aetiology The left ventricular internal diamen- Rheumatic 67 atrial systole. Bacterial 6 sions in systole (Ds) and diastole (Dd) were also Syphilitic 2 measured. Mean circumferential fibre shortening Aortic dissection 1 Rickettsial carditis 1 velocity (Vcf) was calculated by the method of Unknown 4 Cooper et al (1972). Symptoms The chief echocardiographic criterion used for Dyspnoea 8 1 Angina 20 diagnosing ASH in this study was an IVS: PLVW Syncope or faintness 12 thickness ratio in excess of 1-3: 1 (Henry et al. Congestive heart failure 10 1973). Systolic anterior movement of the mitral copyright. N . 23 mm http://thorax.bmj.com/ '" D D ~'' / on September 25, 2021 by guest. Protected PLVW 16 mmr IL 67 yrs Fig 1 Echocardiogram showing IVS and PLVW thickness and left ventricular internal dimensions at peak .systole and end diastole. ASH is present in this case. Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.34.1.91 on 1 February 1979. Downloaded from Coexistence of asymmetric septal hypertrophy and aortic valve disease in adults 93 valve (SAM), high Vcf, and small left ventricular One woman (aged 63) with aortic reflux was cavity (Shah et al, 1969) were also sought. found to have an IVS: PLVW ratio in excess of 1-3: 1. Her echocardiogram also showed typical Results SAM and cardioangiography confirmed asym- metric hypertrophy while suggesting that her aortic Table 3 shows the numbers, sex distribution, and reflux was not severe enough to require aortic echocardiographic findings in those with dominant valve replacement. aortic stenosis and table 4 in those with aortic All 195 patients without echocardiographic reflux. Four patients with dominant stenosis (three evidence of ASH were operated on, and no evi- women aged 63, 64, and 67 and one man aged 53) dence of unusual septal hypertrophy was noted. were found to have IVS: PLVW ratios higher than 1-3: 1. All four exhibited typical SAM of the Discussion anterior mitral leaflet (fig 2), though in one only after inhalation of amyl nitrite. Retrograde left Nanda et al (1974) pioneered the use of echo- ventricular catheterisation showed systolic aortic cardiography for detecting idiopathic subaortic valvar gradients of 20, 65, 75, and 100 mmHg, stenosis coexisting with aortic valve disease. We without subvalvar gradients, and showed ventri- used the technique in an attempt to establish the culographic features of hypertrophic cardiomyo- prevalence of excessive asymmetric septal hyper- pathy in all four. The patient with the gradient of trophy in a series of patients undergoing assess- 100 mmHg declined operation. Excessive septal ment with a view to aortic valve replacement. hypertrophy was confirmed at the time of aortic Since Henry et al (1973) had suggested that in valve replacement in the other two with critical adults without right ventricular hypertension an stenosis, and a myotomy was carried out in one. IVS: PLVW ratio in excess of 1 3 offers a suffi- cient basis for the diagnosis, we used this criterion suggested Table 3 Age and sex distribution and in our study. Popp (1976) subsequently echocardiographic findings in subjects with aortic that a ratio in excess of 1-5: 1 is necessary. Had copyright. stenosis we used that criterion, we would have failed to identify two examples of ASH (subsequently con- IVS/PLVW Wall ratio firmed by ventriculography and at operation) in <1 3 >1 3 association with disease of the aortic valve. In a 115 4 which No still more recent study (Chahine et al, 1977), http://thorax.bmj.com/ Men 71 1 pointed the lack of any pathognomonic feature, Women 44 3 three finally considered to have hyper- Range Mean Range Mean patients Age (yr) 18-66 47 52-67 62 trophic cardiomyopathy had echocardiographic IVs (mm) 10-22 15 17-31 22 IVS: PLVW ratios between 1 0 and 1 2. PLVW (mm) 10-20 15 12-16 14 IVS/PLVW 0-7-1-3 1.0 1-42-0 1-7 Only three of the patients in this study had Ds(mm) 16-47 28 15-25 20 coexistent ASH and disease of the aortic valve Dd(mm) 30-60 46 30-41 35 Vcf(sec -) 1-02-0 1.5 1-2-2-0 1-7 severe enough to require operation. On this evi- SAM Absent Present dence, the prevalence of ASH in adults with critical aortic stenosis may be of the order of on September 25, 2021 by guest. Protected 2 5%. The figure rises to 3-4% if the patient with Table 4 Age and sex distribution and a peak systolic gradient of 20 mmHg (and resting eclhocardiographic findings in subjects with aortic left ventricular pressure circa 160 mmHg) is in- reflux cluded. Others have noted coexistence of ASH IIVS/PL VW Wall ratio with aortic stenosis, and with systemic hyperten- <1*3 >1*3 sion and coarctation of the aorta (Moreyra et al, et Feizi and Emanuel, 1975). No 80 1 1970; Block al, 1973; Men 54 0 The possibility exists that frequent or sustained Women 26 1 excessive pressure loads may trigger inappropriate Range Mean (asymmetric) ventricular hypertrophy in predis- Age 28-66 46 62 IVs (mm) 10-18 13 23 posed individuals. Alternatively, the association PLVW (mm) 10-16 13 15 may be coincidental; however, in our series none IVS/PLVW 0-8-1-3 1.0 1-5 Ds (mm) 26-70 42 24 of the four patients with ASH gave a family Dd (mm) 55-90 63 41 history suggestive of cardiomyopathy. Vcf(sec 1) 06-1*8 1*4 1*6 Among the 81 patients with aortic reflux, only SAM Absent Present one was found to have coexisting ASH. This Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.34.1.91 on 1 February 1979.