Left sided valvar regurgitation in normal children and adolescents

Objective-To determine the prevalence and characteristics of left sided val var regurgitation in normal children and adolescents. Design-Prospective observational study. Setting-Tertiary paediatric referral centre. Patients-329 volunteers (194 male, 135 female, age range 3-18 years). Main outcome measures-Detection of regurgitation with colour flow mapping a fter valve closure. Measurement of jet area, maximal velocity, and duration . Results-Mitral regurgitation was present in six subjects (1.82%, 95% confid ence interval (CI) 0.38% to 3.3%) and was not seen before 7 years of age. T he jets ranged from 1.1 to 1.9 cm(2) (mean 1.4 cm(2)) in area and were conf ined to the proximal half of the left atrium. All of the detectable jets we re pansystolic and five of six arose from the posteriomedial aspect of the mitral valve. Aortic regurgitation was seen in one girl aged 11 years (0.3% , 95% CI 0% to 0.9%). The signal was pandiastolic and 0.44 cm(2) in area. Conclusions-True mitral regurgitation occurring after rather than during mi tral valve closure was detected in < 2% of subjects. These data support pre vious work in adult patients suggesting that trivial degrees of mitral regu rgitation may be related to the process of aging. Aortic regurgitation is v ery rare in normal children and adolescents and should not be considered as a normal finding.