Aortic valve stenosis and aortic diameters determine the extent of increased wall shear stress in bicuspid aortic valve disease.

Background: Use of 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging (4D-flow MRI) derived wall shear stress (WSS) heat maps enables identification of regions in the ascending aorta with increased WSS. These regions are subject to dysregulation of the extracellular matrix and elastic fiber degeneration, which is associated with aortic dilatation and dissection.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the presence of aortic valve stenosis and the aortic diameter on the peak WSS and surface area of increased WSS in the ascending aorta.