COMPARISON OF VENA CONTRACTA WIDTH BY MULTIPLANE TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY WITH QUANTITATIVE DOPPLER ASSESSMENT OF MITRAL REGURGITATION

Mitral regurgitation (MR) severity is routinely assessed by Doppler co lor flow mapping, which is subject to technical and hemodynamic variab les, Vena contracta width may be less influenced by hemodynamic variab les and has previously been shown to correlate with angio graphic esti mates of MR severity, This study was performed to compare mitral vena contracta width by multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) w ith simultaneous quantitative Doppler echocardiography in 35 patients with MR, The vena contracta width was measured at the narrowest portio n of the MR jet as it emerged through the coaptation of the leaflets i t was identified in 97% of the patients, Vena contracta width regurgit ant orifice area (R-2 = 0.81) by quantitative Doppler technique, A ven a contracta width greater than or equal to 0.5 cm always predicted a r egurgitant volume >60 mi and an effective regurgitant orifice area gre ater than or equal to 0.4 cm(2) in all patients, A vena contracta widt h less than or equal to 0.3 cm always pre dieted a regurgitant volume <45 mi and a regurgitant orifice area less than or equal to 0.35 cm(2) . Thus, vena contracta width by multiplane TEE correlates well with mi tral regurgitant volume and regurgitant orifice area by quantitative D oppler echocardiography and provides a simple method for the identific ation of patients with severe MR. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.