Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, USA. mgurvitz@ucla.edu <mgurvitz@ucla.edu>
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is associated with aortic root dilation and dissection in adults, but the age and conditions when dilation begins are unknown. Using echocardiographic data, we compared the aortic root dimensions and valve hemodynamics of 76 children with BAV with valves derived from 41 normal children. The children with BAV had significantly larger aortic roots (p <0.001) regardless of the presence of aortic stenosis or regurgitation.