title: Jet length/velocity ratio: a new index for echocardiographic evaluation of chronic aortic regurgitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of aortic regurgitation depends on the assessment for severity. Echocardiography remains as the most widely available tool for evaluation of aortic regurgitation. In this manuscript, we describe a novel parameter, jet length/velocity ratio, for the diagnosis of severe aortic regurgitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 patients with aortic regurgitation were included to this study. Severity of aortic regurgitation was assessed with an aortic regurgitation index incorporating five echocardiographic parameters. Jet length/velocity ratio is calculated as the ratio of maximum jet penetrance to mean velocity of regurgitant flow. Jet length/velocity ratio was significantly higher in patients with severe aortic regurgitation (2.03 ± 0.53) compared to patients with less than severe aortic regurgitation (1.24 ± 0.32, P < 0.001). Correlation of jet length/velocity ratio with aortic regurgitation index was very good (r(2) = 0.86) and correlation coefficient was higher for jet length/velocity ratio compared to vena contracta, jet width/LVOT ratio and pressure half time. For a cutoff value of 1.61, jet length/velocity ratio had a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 88%, with an AUC value of 0.955.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Jet length/velocity ratio is a novel parameter that can be used to assess severity of chronic aortic regurgitation. Main limitation for usage of this novel parameter is jet impringement to left ventricular wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kafkas University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga Sinan
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Güvenç
authors.forename: Denizhan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karaçimen
authors.forename: Hatice Betül
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Erer
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: İlhan
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sayar
authors.forename: Gültekin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karakuş
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çekirdekçi
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eren
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Doppler; aortic regurgitation; echocardiography; valvular cardiac disorders