ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic power of the simple Doppler index of the mitral/aortic flow velocity time integral [VTI] ratio to identify subjects with haemodynamically significant MR compared with three valid quantitative echocardiographic methods [regurgitant volume, fraction and orifice area]. This work studied 30 patients with MR of different grades and etiologies and 10 healthy volunteers as a control group. All were subjected to complete history taking and clinical examination, ECG, plain X-ray, complete echocardiographic and Doppler examination of the heart and determination of the severity of MR by pulsed wave Doppler [PWD]. The study found that the mitral/aortic flow VTI ratio has accepted sensitivity, specificity, P predictive value and total accuracy in quantitation of the severity of MR compared with the quantitative 2D Doppler methods used for quantitation of the severity of MR. Also, it has the advantage of being a very simple method because in the presence of MR, if the mitral/aortic flow VTI ratio is [0.82 +/- 0.12] the MR is mild, if the ratio is [1.11 +/- 0.20] the MR is moderate and if the ratio is [1.39 +/- 0.29] the MR is severe. It was concluded that the mitral/aortic flow VTI ratio has the diagnostic power to identify subjects with hacmodynamically significant MR. Also, it is a simple and accurate method that can be used for grading of MR, sensitive and valid with accepted total accuracy