[Evaluation of aortic regurgitation by Doppler echocardiography]

To establish a method for evaluating aortic regurgitation (AR) using Doppler echocardiography, we studied 104 patients who were classified according to aortographic grading (Sellers). The severity of the AR was graded by measuring the length of AR jet within the left ventricle by pulsed Doppler mapping (mapping method) or by two-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography (length method). Also, color Doppler echocardiography was used to measure the width of AR jet just below the aortic valve (width method), and pulsed Doppler echocardiography to determine the fraction of integral of forward flow and reverse flow in the abdominal aorta (abdominal method). Although the diagnostic accuracy of grading by these Doppler techniques only ranged between 52% and 68%, the length method combined with the abdominal one enhanced the diagnostic accuracy to 89% in retrospective study and 80% in prospective study. In conclusion, the length method combined with the abdominal method appeared to be useful and reliable in evaluating AR.