Examination of quantitative analysis and measurement of the regurgitation rate in mitral valve regurgitation by the "proximal isovelocity surface area" method.

In 33 dogs with mitral valve insufficiency (MR), assessed as severe by semi-quantitative color flow Doppler echocardiography, regurgitation volumes were measured by the "Proximal Isovelocity Surface Area" (PISA) method. Good correlation (p<0.01, r=0.97) between the regurgitation volumes determined by the "PISA" and pulsed Doppler methods was confirmed. As evaluated by the "PISA" method, regurgitation rates in the 32 dogs with measurable regurgitation volumes ranged from 23 to 73%, with a mean of 51.6 +/- 11.8%. Regurgitation volumes ranged from 3.3 to 32 ml, with a mean of 8.4 +/- 6.4 ml.