[Pulsed and continuous Doppler in qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of mitral insufficiency]

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of pulsed and continuous wave Doppler in mitral regurgitation. One hundred and twenty-one patients (64 women and 57 men aged 13 to 76 years, average 54 years) investigated for mitral regurgitation or ischaemic heart disease underwent left ventricular angiography and continuous wave and pulsed Doppler echocardiography. In addition to clinical examination, they also underwent M mode, 2D echocardiography and phonocardiography. They were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of mitral regurgitation on angiography, chosen as the reference method. Group I comprised 51 patients with angiographic regurgitation, and Group II 70 patients without mitral regurgitation. The sensitivity of the Doppler examination was 98%. Of the 51 patients in Group I there was only one false negative in a patient with doubtful angiographic regurgitation in the context of an endocardial cushion defect. In comparison, the sensitivity of clinical examination and phonocardiography were 74.5% and 80% respectively; 13 cases of mitral regurgitation on angiography and Doppler echocardiography had no auscultatory signs. The specificity of the Doppler examination was 92.8%; 5 of the 70 patients in Group II had unquestionable systolic turbulence in the left atrium and 2D echocardiography showed the possible mechanism of these valvular leaks in 3 cases: 1 bivalvular prolapse, 1 rheumatic valvular thickening and 1 papillary muscle dysfunction. We interpret these 5 cases as being true mitral regurgitation but intermittent or too slight to be visible on angiography. The positive predictive value of systolic turbulence in the left was 90.9% and the negative predictive value was 98.4%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)