[Quantitative study of transmitral flow by spectral Doppler echocardiography]

The aim of this study is to find an accurate and simple method for measuring the transmitral flow by pulsed Doppler echocardiography (PDE). Four parameters were measured: (1) anteroposterior dimension of the mitral valve annulus (MVA) (a); (2) mediolateral dimension of MVA (b); (3) a and b of MVA to calculate the area of MVA (elliptical method); (4) the area of the mitral valve orifice (MVO). The transmitral flow calculated by the use of (3) and (4) were compared with the aortic blood flow. The findings suggested that the MVA calculated with elliptical method is accurate and simple in measuring the transmitral flow.