title: Sensitivity and specificity of pulsed Doppler echocardiography in detection of aortic and mitral regurgitation.
abstract: In order to assess the value of pulsed Doppler echocardiography in detection of valvular regurgitation, 63 patients were evaluated for aortic and/or mitral regurgitation using pulsed Doppler echocardiography and selective cineangiography. The Doppler study was considered as positive when a turbulent flow was detected below the aortic valve for aortic insufficiency and behind the mitral valve for mitral insufficiency on a graphic display (time interval histogram) when technically adequate and/or on an audiosignal. These results were compared with standard angiographic evaluation of the regurgitation: pulsed Doppler echocardiography had 94% sensitivity and the specificity rate was very high (87.5%) even for mild regurgitation. Thus, Doppler technique is highly specific and sensitive in detection of aortic and mitral regurgitation when both audiosignal and time-interval histogram are simultaneously performed.
mesh_terms: D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging