Assessment of mitral regurgitation severity by Doppler color flow mapping of the vena contracta

Although Doppler color flow mapping is widely used to assess the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR), a simple, accurate, and quantitative marker of MR by color flow mapping remains elusive. We hypothesized that vena contracta width by color flow mapping would accurately predict the severity of MR.

We studied 80 patients with MR. Vena contracta width was measured in multiple views with zoom mode and nonstandard angulation to optimize its visualization. Flow volumes across the left ventricular outflow tract and mitral annulus were calculated by pulsed-Doppler technique to determine regurgitant volume. Effective regurgitant orifice area was calculated by dividing the regurgitant volume by the continuous-wave Doppler velocity-time integral of the MR jet. The cause of MR was ischemia in 24, dilated cardiomyopathy in 34 mitral valve prolapse in 12, endocarditis in 2, rheumatic disease in 2, mitral annular calcification in 1, and uncertain in 5. Regurgitant volumes ranged from 2 to 191 mL. Regurgitant orifice area ranged from 0.01 to 1.47 cm2. Single-plane vena contracta width from the parasternal long-axis view correlated well with regurgitant volume (r = .85, SEE = 20 mL) and regurgitant orifice area (r = .86, SEE = 0.15 cm2). Biplane vena contracta width from apical views correlated well with regurgitant volume (r = .85, SEE = 19 mL) and regurgitant orifice area (r = .88, SEE = 0.14 cm2). A biplane vena contracta width > or = 0.5 cm was always associated with a regurgitant volume > 60 mL and a regurgitant orifice area > 0.4 cm2. A biplane vena contracta width < or = 0.3 cm predicted a regurgitant volume < 60 mL and a regurgitant orifice area < 0.4 cm2 in 24 of 29 patients. No other parameter, including jet area, left atrial size, pulmonary flow reversal, or semiquantitative MR grade, correlated significantly with regurgitant volume or regurgitant orifice area in a multivariate analysis.

Our results demonstrate that careful color flow mapping of the vena contracta of the MR jet provides a simple quantitative assessment of MR that correlates well with quantitative Doppler techniques.