[Use of Doppler ultrasound in cardiac diagnosis].

In cardiac diagnosis Doppler ultrasound provides quantitative data in the assessment of pressure gradient and valve area in stenotic lesions. In atrioventricular valves pressure half-time can be determined. In regurgitant lesions the only method capable of providing quantitative analysis of aortic regurgitation is calculation of forward-to-reverse flow ratio by multigate Doppler. All the other single-gate Doppler or 2-D-echo Doppler methods, such as LV or LA mapping, recording of impaired mitral flow and diastolic/systolic flow ratio, permit only semiquantitative assessment of regurgitant volumes. Finally, semiquantitative analysis of shunt volumes appears possible in children.