Quantification of regurgitant lesions by MRI.

We examined 46 patients with angiographically documented regurgitant lesions (26 patients with mitral regurgitation, 20 patients with aortic regurgitation) using an 0.5 Tesla magnet. In each patient a multislice-multiphase spinecho sequence in sagittal-coronal double angulated plane was performed to assess left and right ventricular volumes, ejection fraction and regurgitant fraction. Additionally a blood flow sensitive gradient echo technique was done to visualize direction and extension of the regurgitant jet. MRI data were compared with quantitative and qualitative assessment of regurgitation by angiography and echocardiography. Using the gradient echo technique MRI could demonstrate the regurgitant jet in all patients. A linear correlation for volume parameters by MRI and angio was found with best correlation for the left ventricular stroke volume (r = 0.82, p less than 0.0001). Furthermore MRI regurgitant fraction correlated with angiographically determined regurgitant fraction in patients with aortic regurgitation (r = 0.91, p less than 0.0001) and mitral regurgitation (r = 0.67, p less than 0.001), respectively. Semiquantitative assessment of regurgitation by gradient echo technique showed an agreement with angiographic grading by Sellers in 70% of mitral and 75% of aortic regurgitation, respectively. The comparison of MRI and color Doppler sonography showed only moderate correlation of r = 0.72 (p less than 0.01).