[Advances in non-invasive procedures to diagnose acquired and congenital cardiac valvular disease (author's transl)].

A review is presented, based upon the literature published mainly during the past 10 years and upon personal experience with these methods, of the use of non-invasive diagnostic procedures in congenital and acquired valvular disease of the heart and pericardial disorders. Special emphasis is placed on the possibility of obtaining a quantitative assessment of the severity of the disorder. It depends on the underlying disease whether mechanocardiography (phonocardiogram, external pulse recordings) or echocardiography provides optimum diagnostic information. Echocardiography is especially helpful in the diagnosis of pericardial effusion and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.