title: Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of valve regurgitation in healthy volunteers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence and the characteristics of physiological valve regurgitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography, continuous wave Doppler echocardiography and Doppler colour flow mapping were performed prospectively in healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Echocardiography laboratory in a city hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  32 consecutive healthy volunteers (age 21-49 years, mean age 29.4).
  
  
  METHODS
  Identification of regurgitation with colour Doppler flow mapping and measurement of the jet area, jet length, and maximal velocity of the regurgitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regurgitation was recorded at the pulmonary (100%), tricuspid (100%), mitral (56%), and aortic valves (6%). The velocity of pulmonary and tricuspid regurgitation was similar to that predicted from the pressure gradient calculated from the Bernoulli equation. The jet area and jet length were generally small.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trivial regurgitation from the pulmonary, tricuspid, and mitral valves is common in healthy people. It is important to take such regurgitation into account when valve disease is diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, South Hospital of Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jobic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slama
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tribouilloy
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lan Cheong Wah
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choquet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boschat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Penther
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lesbre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011665:Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging