[Visualization and characterization of the transvalvular jet in mitral stenosis using color-coded Doppler]

Two-dimensional Color Doppler flow imaging is a new non-invasive technique which allows real-time visualization of intracardiac blood flow and provides informations about its direction, velocity and presence of turbulence. As a consequence the identification of jets configuration across stenotic valve orifices is now possible by Color flow imaging. This non invasive tool may be particularly helpful in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease in whom distortion of mitral valve apparatus is often present, determining a non uniform and variable appearance of jets. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe our initial experience with color flow imaging in the visualization of transtenotic mitral jets in order to characterize different spatial configurations. We studied 45 patients with clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of mitral stenosis. The mean age of these patients was 59 years (range from 36 to 72 years), 34 were women and 11 men. The different types of transmitral jets were characterized by real time and frame by frame analysis. The following characteristics of transmitral jets have been evaluated: A) appearance ("Candle flame", "Mushroom", "Scimitar"-shaped, "Double-jets"); B) direction (centrally directed or eccentric); C) extension into the left ventricle (basal, mid-ventricular and apical); D) persistence of turbulent flow during diastole (early-, mid-, late diastole). Mitral valve area was calculated from the velocity tracings obtained by continuous wave Doppler, applying the pressure half-time method. Color flow imaging of good quality for analysis was obtained in 41 of 45 patients (91%). In the other 4 patients the quality of color flow images was suboptimal however the direction and configuration of the jets could still be visualised.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)