title: How to grade mitral regurgitation: an integrative approach.
abstract: Evaluation of mitral regurgitation (MR) severity remains complex and challenging. An integrative approach to grading MR is recommended. The use of multiple Doppler methods should be used to help discriminate between grades of severity. Importantly, MR severity should always be considered in the context of clinical data. The emerging inclusion of 3-dimensional echocardiography may provide complementary data for MR quantification and better anatomic and pathophysiological detail of the mitral valve. This article summarizes recommendations for MR assessment and highlights the importance of an integrated approach, using anatomic information as well as qualitative and quantitative Doppler measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Doctor Esquerdo 46, Madrid 28007, Spain. jsolismartin@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solis
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Piro
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loughlin
authors.forename: Jose Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vazquez de Prada
mesh_terms: D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*