Quantitative assessment of valvular regurgitations using the pulsed Doppler technique. Approach to the regurgitant lesion.

It is now possible with pulsed Doppler to grade the severity of aortic, mitral and tricuspid regurgitations on a quantitative basis. "Indices" were devised, using the measurement of the spatial extent of abnormal Doppler signals. For aortic regurgitation: (1) at the aortic valvular orifice area, by measurement of the regurgitant aortic valvular area and calculation of the valvular regurgitant "index". (2) In the left ventricle outflow tract, by calculation of an "index" combining information from two echographic (short and long axis) planes. For mitral regurgitation: by calculation of the total regurgitant "index" combining information from examination of the annulus in short axis, and of the left atrium in long axis view. For tricuspid regurgitation: at the tricuspid annulus, by averaging the depth of the reversal wave on two samples recorded using various echographic approaches. A group of patients with aortic (42), mitral (55) and tricuspid (57) regurgitation proven by invasive procedures, was investigated with this procedure using a 3 MHz two dimensional pulsed Doppler echo device. Correlative coefficients between the Doppler grading and that provided by independently performed invasive procedures on a three point scale, ranged between 0.66 and 0.88, with significant differentiation of mean values of indices (P less than 0.01 to P less than 0.001) for each grade of severity. Success in the Doppler grading of severity of the regurgitations requires (1) a sampling as close as possible to the lesion, and optimally at ther very site of the lesion, (2) the largest explorable area at the site of the lesion, (3) the relevancy of the selected Doppler parameter in order to take into account, as much as possible, the three dimensional configuration of the regurgitant jet. Moreover, this mapping procedure provides a pathophysiological insight of the regurgitant lesion for left-sided regurgitations.