echocardiography in aortic regurgitation
Last reviewed 01/2018
- colour flow mapping is the most sensitive technique for detection
- severity is assessed by measuring the proximal width or area of the jet, compared with the width area of the left ventricular outflow tract (the length of the jet is a poor estimate of severity of regurgitation)
- with severe aortic regurgitation the left ventricle becomes 'volume-overloaded' and there is early closure of the mitral valve because of high end-diastolic pressure
- there may be dilatation of the aorta
- the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve may be seen to flutter in the regurgitant jet of blood