Aortic valve area: meta-analysis of diagnostic performance of multi-detector computed tomography for aortic valve area measurements as compared to transthoracic echocardiography

Degenerative aortic valve stenosis (AS) has an incidence of 2-7% in the Western European and North American populations over 65 years of age. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the published literature evaluating the accuracy of CT planimetry to measure the aortic valve area. The PUBMED and OVID databases were searched up to May 2008. Major criteria for article inclusion was the use of (a) multi-detector computed tomography as a diagnostic test for the assessment of AVA in patients with AS, and (b) TTE as the reference standard. Nine studies were included in the analysis with 175 women and 262 men. The mean AVA as measured by CT was 1.0 +/- 0.1. The mean AVA measured by TTE was 0.9 +/- 0.1. The correlation between CT and TTE AVA measurements was r = 1.45. The mean difference was 0.03 +/- 0.05. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that multi-detector CT is an accurate method for obtaining AVA measurements in patients with AS.