Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of the severity of mitral regurgitation. Comparison with invasive techniques.
BACKGROUND
In the patient with mitral regurgitation who is being considered for valvular surgery, cardiac catheterization is usually performed to quantify the severity of regurgitation and to determine its influence on left ventricular volumes and systolic function. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) potentially provides a rapid, noninvasive method of acquiring these data. Thus, this study was done to determine whether MRI can reliably measure the magnitude of mitral regurgitation and evaluate the effect of regurgitation on left ventricular volumes and systolic function.


RESULTS
Twenty-three subjects (14 women and 9 men 15 to 72 years of age) with (n = 17) or without (n = 6) mitral regurgitation underwent MRI scanning followed immediately by cardiac catheterization. The presence (or absence) of valvular regurgitation was determined, and left ventricular volumes and regurgitant fraction were quantified during each procedure. There was excellent correlation between invasive and MRI assessments of left ventricular end-diastolic (r = .95) and end-systolic (r = .95) volumes and regurgitant fraction (r = .96). All MRI examinations were completed in < 28 minutes.


CONCLUSIONS
In the patient with mitral regurgitation, MRI compares favorably with cardiac catheterization for assessment of the magnitude of regurgitation and its influence on left ventricular volumes and systolic function.
Hundley
W G
WG
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9085, USA.
Li
H F
HF
Willard
J E
JE
Landau
C
C
Lange
R A
RA
Meshack
B M
BM
Hillis
L D
LD
Peshock
R M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000191:economics; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000191:economics; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000191:economics; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D014481:United States; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology