[The measurement of jet width at its origin in assessing mitral prosthetic regurgitation. The effect of the spatial disposition of the jet].
OBJECTIVE
The study was performed to test the influence of the jet spatial disposition on the correlation degree between the measurement of the jet width at its origin and the severity of mitral prosthetic regurgitation by transesophageal Doppler color flow imaging.


METHODS
In 165 patients with mitral valve prosthesis which were submitted for transesophageal echocardiography examination due to suspected prosthetic dysfunction, we studied 126 with pathological mitral regurgitation. On these patients, studies of jet spatial disposition, maximum width in its origin and severity quantification by means of maximum regurgitation area were performed.


RESULTS
For the free jet group of patients (90), jet width at its origin correlated with maximal regurgitation area (r = 0.75); whereas for the wall jet group (36), the correlation degree was 0.59. We observed a relationship (p < 0.05) between severe mitral regurgitation assessed by maximal regurgitant jet size and jet width > or = 5 mm in both groups: the sensitivity and specificity of 72.7% and 95% respectively for free jets, and 70.7% and 64.4% for wall jets.


CONCLUSIONS
The correlation between the area measurement and the width in its origin is better for free jets than for wall jets. A statistically significant relationship between the presence of severe mitral regurgitation and width in its origin > or = 5 mm could be observed, independently of the jet spatial disposition.
Morillas
P J
PJ
Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia.
Martínez-Dolz
L
L
Rueda
J
J
Lauwers
C
C
Almenar
L
L
Miró
V
V
Ten
F
F
Osa
A
A
Salvador
A
A
Palencia
M
M
Algarra
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity