Derivation and Validation of the Aortic Valve Echocardiographic Calcium Score to Confirm Severe Aortic Stenosis: the Echo-AVCS Study (Echo-AVCS)

May 27, 2026 updated by: Emanuele Barbato, Azienda Ospedaliera "Sant'Andrea"
The Echo-AVCS Study is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter observational study designed to derive and validate an artificial intelligence (AI)-based echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score (Echo-AVCS) for confirming severe aortic stenosis (AS). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the standard imaging modality for assessing AS severity; however, discrepancies between valve area and transvalvular gradient measurements may complicate diagnosis, particularly in low-flow or discordant AS presentations. Cardiac computed tomography (CT)-derived aortic valve calcium scoring is currently used to resolve diagnostic uncertainty, but it involves additional cost and radiation exposure. This study will enroll consecutive adult patients undergoing clinically indicated TTE and cardiac CT with calcium scoring performed within 3 months. Standardized echocardiographic images will be centrally analyzed using dedicated AI-based image segmentation and machine learning methods to quantify aortic valve calcification directly from TTE images. CT-derived aortic valve calcium score will serve as the reference standard. The primary objective is to derive and validate the Echo-AVCS score for identifying severe AS. Secondary objectives include determination of sex-specific diagnostic thresholds, correlation with CT calcium volume, association with symptoms and NYHA class, and evaluation of prognostic associations with aortic valve replacement, heart failure hospitalization, cardiovascular events, and mortality at 1-year follow-up.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

250

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Italy
      • Bologna, Italy
        • Recruiting
        • University of Bologna
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Luca Bergamaschi
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Matteo Armillotta
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Francesco Angeli
      • Milan, Italy
        • Recruiting
        • Centro Cardiologico Monzino
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Saima Mushtaq, MD, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Maria Elisabetta Mancini, MD
      • Milan, Italy
        • Recruiting
        • IRCCS Galeazzi-Sant'Amborgio
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Tommaso Viva
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Davide Marchetti
      • Milan, Italy
        • Active, not recruiting
        • Politecnico di Milano
      • Roma, Italy
        • Recruiting
        • Sant'Andrea University Hospital
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Pasquale Paolisso, MD, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Marta Belmonte, MD, PhD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

The Echo-CA score Study is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter study of consecutive patients undergoing clinically indicated standard transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac CT with available calcium score performed within 3 months. The study population is expected to include approximately 50% patients with severe AS and 50% without severe AS, in order to ensure a balanced case-control distribution and optimize the precision of diagnostic performance estimates. All patients will be managed according to current standards of care. Clinical evaluation will include systematic collection of cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities, medical therapy, and detailed symptom assessment (angina, syncope, dyspnea), as well as NYHA functional class. Each participant will undergo: i) comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) performed according to current ESC Guideline; ii) cardiac CT with aortic valve calcium quantification, performed according to contemporary acquisiti

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age > 18 years old
  • Clinical indication for standard transthoracic echocardiography.
  • Clinical indication for cardiac CT with available calcium score.
  • 3-month time interval between transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac CT.
  • Able to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with inadequate transthoracic echocardiographic images.
  • Poor quality CCTA, inadequate for standard calcium score assessment.
  • Patients with known prior stents and/or coronary artery bypass grafts.
  • Patients with known previous percutaneous or surgical aortic valve replacement.
  • Patients with active or a history of endocarditis.
  • Patients with congenital heart defects (other than isolated bicuspid aortic valve).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Patients undergoing transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac-CT with available calcium score
Consecutive patients undergoing clinically indicated standard transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac CT with available calcium score performed within 3 months
Diagnostic test: Echocardiography and Cardiac CT
This is a non-interventional, observational study in which all patients will undergo clinically indicated standard-of-care transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) with aortic valve calcium scoring. No investigational drug, device, or additional invasive procedure will be administered as part of the study. Echocardiographic images acquired during routine clinical practice will be anonymized and centrally analyzed using dedicated artificial intelligence-based software to derive and validate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score. Patient management, follow-up, and therapeutic decisions, including referral for aortic valve replacement, will remain entirely at the discretion of the treating physicians according to current clinical guidelines and standard practice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Derivation of Echo-AVCS
Time Frame: 6 months
To derive an echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score (Echo-AVCS) for confirming severe AS, using CT-derived aortic valve calcium as the reference standard.
6 months
Validation of Echo-AVCS
Time Frame: 6 months
To validate an echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score (Echo-AVCS) for confirming severe AS, using CT-derived aortic valve calcium as the reference standard.
6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sex-specific thresholds
Time Frame: 6 months
To determine sex-specific thresholds (male vs. female) for the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score (Echo-AVCS).
6 months
Correlation between the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score and the calcium volume (mm³)
Time Frame: 6 months
To assess the correlation between the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score and the calcium volume (mm³) measured by cardiac computed tomography.
6 months
Correlation of the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score and the presence and occurrence of patient symptoms
Time Frame: 1-year
To correlate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score and the presence and occurrence of patient symptoms (angina, syncope, and dyspnea).
1-year
Association between the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score and the time to aortic valve replacement (AVR)
Time Frame: 1 year
To evaluate the association between the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score and the time to aortic valve replacement (AVR) according to current ESC Guidelines.
1 year
Correlation of the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with the patient's NYHA Class.
Time Frame: 1 year
To correlate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with the patient's NYHA Class.
1 year
Correlation of the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with all-cause death at 1-year follow-up.
Time Frame: 1 year
To correlate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with all-cause death at 1-year follow-up.
1 year
Correlation of the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with cardiovascular death at 1-year follow-up.
Time Frame: 1 year
To correlate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with cardiovascular death at 1-year follow-up.
1 year
Correlation of the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with hospitalization for heart failure at 1-year follow-up.
Time Frame: 1 year
To correlate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with hospitalization for heart failure at 1-year follow-up.
1 year
Correlation of the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure) at 1-year follow-up.
Time Frame: 1 year
To correlate the echocardiographic aortic valve calcium score with major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure) at 1-year follow-up.
1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Azienda Ospedaliera "Sant'Andrea"

Collaborators

University of Bologna
Politecnico di Milano
Centro Cardiologico Monzino
I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 27, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 0335/2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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