[Quantifying aortic valve insufficiency using color Doppler echocardiography].
51 consecutive patients with the clinical signs of aortic valve incompetence (AI) were evaluated by color-coded Doppler flow mapping (CDF) before angiography (AG). Quantitation of the severity of AI was performed by measurement of length and width of the extension of regurgitant jet (grade I-IV). After AG results both -AG and CDF- were compared. In 36 patients the results of both methods concurred exactly by use length in CDF. With CDF, the regurgitation was overestimated in 7 cases by one grade and underestimated in 8 patients also by one grade. Width of regurgitant jet relative to size of outflow space is a useful parameter to distinguish between mild and severe A1 (limit 0.50).


CONCLUSIONS
CDF is a suitable method for semiquantitative assessment of AI. In presence of unequivocal CDF signs and in consideration of clinical and other patients findings AG will be dispensable before aortic valve replacement.
Kirchner
K
K
Zentralklinik für Herz- und Lungenkrankheiten Bad Berka.
Strauss
H J
HJ
Hintz
P
P
Schaedel
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology; D002932:Cineangiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
Quantifizierung von Aortenklappeninsuffizienzen mittels Farb-Doppler-Echokardiographie.