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ABSTRACT: The measurement of vena contracta is a promising method for quantification of mitral regurgitation (MR). No data exist regarding the ability of power Doppler echocardiography in the assessment of vena contracta in MR. We attempted to clarify the ability of power Doppler in the assessment of vena contracta in MR. The width of vena contracta was measured using power Doppler in 70 patients with chronic MR. Mean effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) was calculated quantitatively by the spectral Doppler. The area of vena contracta was calculated by measuring the width of vena contracta from the following formula: Vena contracta area = * (vena contracta width/2)2. The width of vena contracta ranged from 3.6 to 8.4 mm. The EROA varied from 0.10 to 0.56 cm2. Good correlations were found between EROA and vena contracta area obtained by power Doppler (r = .95, p < .0001, SEE = 0.04 cm2). Strong relationships were observed between the area of vena contracta and regurgitant volume (r = 0.93, p < .0001, SEE = 8.1 ml/beat), and regurgitant fraction (r = 0.95, SEE = 6.1%). Power Doppler may provide an additional method for assessing vena contracta in MR.
International Journal of Angiology 11/2003; 12(4):234-238.
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ABSTRACT: This study was designed to examine whether the cross-sectional area of vena contracta measured by color Doppler flow mapping (CFM) could be used for assessing aortic regurgitation (AR) and developing an index for grading AR. The 75 study patients with AR were classified into quadrant grades according to New York Heart Association functional class, regurgitant fraction, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic dimension and LV end-systolic dimension. Using CFM, the cross-sectional area of the vena contracta was measured and it could distinguish all grades without significant overlap. An area of less than 0.10 cm(2) corresponded to Grade 1, 0.10-0.19 cm(2) corresponded to Grade 2, 0.20-0.29 cm(2) corresponded to Grade 3 and an area of more than 0.30 cm(2) corresponded to Grade 4. An area of vena contracta of more than 0.30 cm(2) identified high-scoring AR (Grade 4) in 11 of 11 (sensitivity 100%) and correctly predicted the absence of high-scoring AR in 60 of 64 (specificity 94%). Conversely, there was considerable overlap between the jet distances with the clinical grades. The cross-sectional area of the vena contracta measured by CFM can provide a simple quantitative assessment of AR that correlates well with the clinical grade of AR.
Circulation Journal 04/2003; 67(3):243-7. · 3.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We aimed to investigate whether the improvement of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function by cibenzoline, a class Ia antiarrhythmic drug, in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is due to LV afterload reduction or a primary lusitropic effect on LV. Twenty-three patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (11; HOCM, 12; non-obstructive HCM; HNCM) were examined. Pulsed-wave Doppler, color M-mode and tissue Doppler echocardiography were performed before and 90 minutes after oral administration of cibenzoline (300 mg), and were compared with a treatment of bisoprolol (5 mg/day, 10 days). Early (E) and late diastolic LV inflow velocity, E flow propagation velocity (FPV) and early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Ea) were measured. E/FPV and E/Ea were calculated as indices of LV filling pressure. LV outflow pressure gradients estimated using continuous-wave Doppler in HOCM markedly decreased after cibenzoline (83 42 to 40 33 mmHg, p < 0.005)="" and="" bisoprolol="" (44="" ="" 40="" mmhg,="">p < 0.005).="" following="" cibenzoline,="" e/fpv="" and="" e/ea="" were="" significantly="" decreased="" in="" both="" hocm="" (1.75="" ="" 0.53="" to="" 1.32="" ="" 0.28,="">p < 0.05,="" 18.9="" ="" 6.2="" to="" 14.8="" ="" 5.0,="">p < 0.05,="" respectively)="" and="" hncm="" (1.75="" ="" 0.58="" to="" 1.41="" ="" 0.73,="">p < 0.05,="" 13.0="" ="" 4.3="" to="" 9.7="" ="" 3.6,="">p < 0.01,="" respectively).="" those="" in="" hncm="" did="" not="" change="" by="" bisoprolol.="" cibenzoline="" improved="" lv="" diastolic="" function="" in="" hcm,="" whereas="" bisoprolol="" did="" not="" affect="" it.="" thus,="" the="" primary="" lusitropic="" effect="" of="" cibenzoline="" rather="" than="" lv="" after="" load="" reduction="" might="" have="" contributed="" to="" the="" improvement="" of="" diastolic="" function="" in="">
Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy 01/2001; 15(5):459-465. · 3.13 Impact Factor
