Tove Hector will present her master's thesis.

Title: Evolution of Aortic Imaging Biomarkers in Bicuspid Aortic Valve : A 4D Flow MRI Study

Author: Tove Hector

Supervisor: Anders Heyden

Examiner: Niels Christian Overgaard

Abstract:

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital valvular disease and is associated with an increased risk of ascending aortic dilation, a known precursor to life-threatening complications such as aortic dissection. Current clinical decision-making is primarily based on threshold-derived diameter measurements, although diameter alone has proven insufficient for comprehensive risk stratification. Previous studies using 4D flow MRI have demonstrated associations between abnormal blood flow patterns and aortic remodeling in patients with BAV.
This thesis retrospectively investigated 54 patients with BAV at baseline and at 2-year follow-up. The aim was to evaluate the physiological consistency and reproducibility of 4D flow MRI-derived biomarkers, assess their longitudinal changes, and discuss their potential role in risk stratification.
The study demonstrated that several 4D flow-derived biomarkers such as morphology, WSS and strain exhibited physiologically coherent relationships with established markers of vascular remodeling and stiffness, as well as generally good inter-user reproducibility. Longitudinal analysis revealed progressive ascending aortic remodeling, particularly in dilated and Type 1 BAV patients, characterized by increasing aortic dimensions and reduced strain-related parameters over time.
Collectively, these findings support the potential utility of multiparametric 4D flow MRI assessment for longitudinal evaluation of BAV associated aortopathy as well as the complex nature of BAV and need for future risk stratification strategies