[Doppler echocardiographic study of patients with mitral insufficiency]

Possibilities of dopplerography have been examined with respect to mitral incompetence in 20 apparently normal subjects and 24 patients with mitral incompetence documented by surgical or left-ventriculographic findings. Spectrograms and analogue curves of blood flow around the left atrioventricular orifice were assessed. Unlike normal subjects, 21 of 24 patients exhibited turbulent systolic flow in their left atrial cavities, behind mitral cusps, regarded as evidence of mitral regurgitation. Left-atrial blood flow investigation demonstrated a relationship between the distance of recorded systolic flow from mitral cusps and manifestation of mitral incompetence. Therefore dopplerography can detect mitral regurgitation and give an approximate idea of its manifestation in patients with mitral incompetence.