Quantification of stenotic mitral valve area with magnetic resonance imaging and comparison with Doppler ultrasound.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the pressure half-time (PHT) method for estimating mitral valve areas (MVAs) by velocity-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance (VE-CMR) and to compare the method with paired Doppler ultrasound.


BACKGROUND
The pressure half-time Doppler echocardiography method is a practical technique for clinical evaluation of mitral stenosis. As CMR continues evolving as a routine clinical tool, its use for estimating MVA requires thorough evaluation.


METHODS
Seventeen patients with mitral stenosis underwent echocardiography and CMR. Using VE-CMR, MVA was estimated by PHT method. Additionally, peak E and peak A velocities were defined. Interobserver repeatability of VE-CMR was evaluated.


RESULTS
By Doppler, MVAs ranged from 0.87 to 4.49 cm2; by CMR, 0.91 to 2.70 cm2, correlating well between modalities (r = 0.86). The correlation coefficient for peak E and peak A between modalities was 0.81 and 0.89, respectively. Velocity-encoded CMR data analysis provided robust, repeatable estimates of peak E, peak A, and MVA (r = 0.99, 0.99, and 0.96, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Velocity-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance can be used routinely as a robust tool to quantify MVA via mitral flow velocity analysis with PHT method.
Lin
Shiow Jiuan
SJ
Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Brown
Peggy A
PA
Watkins
Mary P
MP
Williams
Todd A
TA
Lehr
Katherine A
KA
Liu
Wei
W
Lanza
Gregory M
GM
Wickline
Samuel A
SA
Caruthers
Shelton D
SD
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler