Does bicuspid aortic valve morphology influence the number of elastic lamellae in the aortic wall compared to tricuspid aortic valve morphology?
Patients with bicuspid aortic valves have fewer elastic lamellae in the aortic wall compared to those with tricuspid valves, providing a potential structural explanation for their higher risk of aortopathy.
The number of elastic lamellae in the aortic wall is influenced by both age and valve morphology. BAV patients had less lamellae than TAV patients, which could contribute to the disparity in clinical outcomes. In older adults, age-related lamellar degeneration likely increases the risk of aortopathy.
Bacour et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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