[Quantification of mitral valve area: usefulness of Doppler]

We studied 34 patients with mitral stenosis by means of doppler echocardiography. Several patients had non significant associated valve lesions. The mitral valve area was measured by planimetry of the mitral orifice as recorded in the short axis view and also using the Hatle formula as applied to pulsed doppler recordings of transmitral flow velocity. The correlation between both measurements was excellent (r = 0.92). Direct measurements of mitral valve area obtained at the time of operation showed no significant differences from those estimated by echocardiography in 15 surgically treated patients.