[Cine-MR for the quantification of regurgitation defects by a volume method]

We have examined 46 patients with angiographically confirmed regurgitant lesions (26 mitral insufficiency, 20 aortic insufficiency) using a 0.5 Tesla magnet. In each patient, multiplane and multiphase spin-echo sequences were obtained in a plane angled in the sagittal and coronal direction in the long axis of the heart; left and right ventricular volumes, ejection fractions and regurgitation fractions were calculated. In addition, a blood-flow sensitive gradient echo sequence was obtained in order to determine the direction and extent of the regurgitant jet. The data was compared with the results of angiography and echocardiography. By means of the gradient echo technique, MRI was able to show the regurgitant jet in every patient. There was a linear correlation between volumes determined by MRI and angiography. The best agreement was found for left ventricular contraction volume (R = 0.82, p is less than 0.0001). Comparison of the noninvasive and angiographic method showed a linear correlation for AI patients of R = 0.91 (p is less than 0.001), which is somewhat better than for patients with MI (R = 0.84, p less than 0.001). Semiquantitative grading of MI with a gradient echo technique showed a linear correlation with angiography of R = 0.73 (p less than 0.001), for AI there was agreement between both methods in 72% of cases. A comparison between MRI and colour Doppler sonography showed only moderately good correlation R = 0.69 (p less than 0.01).