Aortic Stenosis — Listen to the Patient, Look at the Valve

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, the increasing use of echocardiography has dramatically changed our understanding of the prevalence and progression of aortic-valve stenosis. Aortic stenosis may be due to rheumatic disease or to calcification of a congenitally bicuspid or normal trileaflet valve. However, in the United States and Europe, calcific valvular disease is by far the most common cause of aortic stenosis.We now recognize that calcific valvular disease is not simply a degenerative condition associated with aging but, instead, represents the end stage of an active disease process. In the early stages, the aortic side of the valve contains . . .