Pulmonary venous flow pattern in various grades of mitral regurgitation and the effect of mitral surgery on flows in severe regurgitation.
OBJECTIVE
Firstly, to describe pulmonary venous flow patterns in various grades of mitral regurgitation and secondly, to determine effect of mitral valve surgery on these flows.


METHODS
Descriptive study for the first objective and open randomised intervention for the second objective.


METHODS
Mater Misericordiae Hospital Heart Unit, Nairobi (1996-1997).


METHODS
Thirty eight consecutive patients referred to the unit with various grades of mitral regurgitation from any cause.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation underwent mitral valve surgery.


METHODS
Peak forward flow systolic velocity and peak forward flow diastolic velocity plus their velocity time integrals (VTI). Atrial contraction peak reverse flow velocity and its VTI.


RESULTS
Seventy eight per cent of patients with mild (2+) mitral regurgitation (MR) had normal pulmonary venous flow. All patients with moderate (3+) MR had blunted forward systolic flow. Eighty eight per cent of patients with severe (4+) MR had reversal of the normally forward systolic flow. For the patients who had mitral valve surgery, reversed systolic flow of severe MR converted to blunted flow in 12 out of 14 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Pulmonary venous flow by Doppler echocardiography has potential of being a useful additional index in the grading of MR.
Yonga
G O
GO
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation