Types of aortic stenosis in surgically removed valves.

In 109 specimens of aortic valves removed surgically from adults for isolated or dominant aortic stenosis, five types of valve were encountered. In order of decreasing frequency the types were as follows: calcification of congenitally bicuspid aortic valves (48.6%); calcification of a normally tricuspid aortic valve without commissural fusion, the so-called senile type of aortic stenosis (27.6%); calcification of an acquired bicuspid valve (12.8%); the fibrous (rheumatic)-type valve (10.1%); and calcification of congenitally unicuspid valves (0.9%). In the overall study men were more commonly represented than women by a ratio of 3:2. In only the senile type were women more commonly represented than men.