Aortic Valve Calcification as an Incidental Finding at CT of the Elderly: Severity and Location as Predictors of Aortic Stenosis

Abstract

The severity of aortic valve calcifications on chest CT, as assessed either subjectively or objectively, correlated with increased pressure gradients across the aortic valve, particularly for calcification of the peripheral left-posterior commissure and the central right-left commissure. These results indicate that the severity and location of aortic valve calcifications on chest CT are associated with an increased pressure gradient across the aortic valve.