Molecular Calcification Imaging and Ascending Aortic Disease in Patients With a Bicuspid Aortic Valve
In this cohort study of patients with a bicuspid aortic valve, the most rapid aortic growth was seen in those with low [18F]-sodium fluoride ascending aortic uptake, indicating reduced aortic wall integrity. High ascending aortic [18F]-sodium fluoride uptake was associated with a stiffer and slow-growing ascending aortic phenotype. These findings suggest that [18F]-sodium fluoride PET imaging represents a promising new noninvasive approach to identify a microcalcified disease phenotype in thoracic aortopathy among patients with a bicuspid aortic valve.
Authors
- Evangelos Tzolos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0038-043X)
- Krithika Loganath (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1378-306X)
- Samuel A. Debono
- Niki Walker
- Tim Clark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6925-3979)
- Rachael O. Forsythe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3311-9599)
- S I Semple
- Mark G. MacAskill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5355-3109)
- Tijana Mitić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6852-8982)
- Gillian Macnaught (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5531-9703)
- Maaz Syed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0530-8306)
- Jillian Madine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9963-5871)
- Alexander J. Fletcher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9984-8391)
- David Newby (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7728-4054)
- Michelle C. Williams
- M. L. Field
- Piotr J Slomka
- Riaz Akhtar
- Adriana A. S. Tavares
- B Whittington
- Marc R. Dweck
- Damini Dey
- Jennifer Nash
- Stephanie L. Sellers
- Laura Clark
Institutions
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (US)
- NHS Lothian (GB)
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- St. Paul's Hospital (CA)
- Golden Jubilee National Hospital (GB)
- Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (GB)
- Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (GB)
- St. Paul's Hospital (CA)
- The Queen's Medical Research Institute (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- JAMA Network Open
- Published
- 2026-02-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.60385
- Primary Topic
- Aortic Disease and Treatment Approaches
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00