# Comparing Two Methods of Aortic Annulus Computed Tomography Measurements: A Retrospective Teleradiology Saudi Study

## TL;DR

This study compared two CT measurement methods for aortic valve annulus size in a Saudi cohort and found both methods to be equally effective.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the equivalence of mean and area-derived diameter methods for aortic annulus measurement in a Saudi population.

## Key findings

- Mean transverse diameter was 22.51 mm and area-derived diameter was 22.83 mm.
- No significant difference was found between the two measurement methods (p = 0.53).
- The average age of the cohort was 73.35 years with a majority of males.

## Abstract

Objectives

The objective of this study was to determine the overall mean size of the aortic valve annulus and to compare two distinct methods of quantifying aortic valve annulus dimensions using computed tomography (CT) in pre-transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) Saudi teleradiology cohort.

Materials and methods

This retrospective cohort study, conducted from December 2019 to September 2023, included 31 patients identified using "TAVI" in our teleradiology picture archiving and communication system. CT examinations followed standardized protocols. Three experienced radiologists assessed the aortic valve annulus, measuring maximum, minimum, and mean transverse diameters, area, and area-derived diameter. The statistical analysis involved calculating mean values and standard deviations and conducting t-tests to compare measurement methods.

Results

The study cohort had an average age of 73.35 ± 8.55 years, with 67.74% males. No significant age difference was observed between genders (p = 0.8421). Aortic valve annulus measurements showed the mean transverse diameter to be 22.51 ± 2.04 mm and the area-derived diameter at 22.83 ± 1.99 mm, with no significant difference between these methods (p = 0.53). Additional parameters included the maximum transverse measurement (25.78 ± 2.92 mm), minimum transverse measurement (19.23 ± 2.31 mm), and area (4.12 ± 0.72 cm²).

Conclusion

This study employed mean and area-derived diameter methods to evaluate the average size of the aortic valve annulus within a Saudi teleradiology cohort. The average sizes determined were 22.51 mm and 22.83 mm for the mean and area-derived diameter methods, respectively. The lack of a statistically significant difference between these two methods suggests their comparable efficacy in assessing aortic valve annulus size in this cohort.