Valvular regurgitations in healthy young people

Using colour Doppler flow imaging technique (CDFI) 153 young healthy volunteers (80 M, 73 W) aged 23.9 +/- 1.4 years were studied for the prevalence and characteristics of regurgitations in morphologically normal valves. Regurgitation in normal pulmonary valve was found in 67.4%. Mid- to end-diastolic pulmonary regurgitation prevailed with the jet of predominantly central type, with the mean maximal jet length (DJmax) = 1.1 cm and the mean proximal jet width = 0.3 cm. "Physiological" mitral regurgitation was registered in 39.3%, with DJmax = 1.3 cm, mean maximal left atrial systolic dimension at the moment of maximal regurgitation (DLAmax) = 4.2 cm and with LJmax/DLAmax ratio of 0.3. Tricuspid regurgitation was present in 54%, with DJmax = 2.1 cm. Aortic regurgitation was found in 1.3% only. Authors propose diagnostic criteria to differentiate regurgitations in normal valves ("physiological" regurgitations) from pathological ones.