Diagnosis of aortic valve calcinosis with a view to the surgical treatment of aortic valve disease

: Combined roentgenologic/echocardiographic diagnosis of aortic valve calcinosis was made in 135 patients operated on for a rheumatic aortic heart disease. Four degrees of aortic valve calcinosis were identified: 1) isolated fine points of calcinosis, as revealed by echolocation and specific treatment of the removed valves; 2) small-focal calcinosis as revealed roentgenologically in 79.2% of cases and by echolocation, in 93%; 3) large-focal, and 4) wide-spread calcinosis, the latter two being detectable both roentgenologically and echocardiographically in all cases. The 4-degree classification of aortic valvular lesions allows a detailed assessment of the nature of the affection that is important for the choice of surgical procedure.