Abstract 9226: Stroke in Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Background: The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) exhibits abnormal geometry and transvalvular flow and is susceptible to calcification with subsequent cardioembolic stroke from calcific embolic material. However, the description of embolic ischemic strokes in patients with BAV is limited to case reports. Methods: Consecutive patients from 1975-2015 with BAV (n=5401) at our institution were retrospectively identified. Patients with ischemic stroke before aortic valve replacement (AVR) were analyzed, and the stroke was characterized. Patients were grouped according to stroke etiology: calcific embolism from a BAV (BAV stroke); large artery atherosclerotic or lacunar stroke (LA stroke); and non-BAV, non-large artery embolic stroke (nLA stroke). Results: There were 83/5401 (1.5%) patients with ischemic stroke. Mean age was 54 ± 12 years and 28% were female. Stroke etiology was BAV stroke in 26/83 (31%), LA stroke in 23/83 (28%), nLA stroke in 30/83 (36%), and other in 4/83 (5%). Stroke was embolic in 72/83 (87%), as shown in Figure 1. CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was not different in patients with BAV stroke (1.4 ± 1.2) versus nLA stroke (1.8 ± 1.2, p=0.188) but was higher in LA stroke (2.3 ± 1.2, p=0.005 vs. BAV stroke). Recurrent stroke occurred in 41% overall (50% BAV stroke vs. 30% LA stroke vs. 47% nLA stroke, both p=NS vs. BAV stroke). BAV stroke was more commonly located in the retinal circulation (39% BAV stroke vs. 13% LA stroke [p=0.044] vs. 0% nLA stroke [p=0.002]). Patients with BAV and LA stroke were more likely to have moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis and undergo AVR sooner after stroke compared to patients with nLA stroke. Conclusions: Stroke is an important complication in patients with BAV. The most common type of stroke in BAV is embolic. Greater than one-third of embolic stroke resulted from embolism from a calcific aortic valve. Patients with BAV stroke commonly have a history of recurrent cerebral ischemic events, severe valvular disease, and proceed to AVR soon after stroke.