Value of the proximal flow convergence method for quantification of the regurgitant volume in mitral regurgitation

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the underlying mechanism of mitral regurgitation influences the reliability of the proximal flow con- vergence method to assess the regurgitant volume. Furthermore, the mode of imaging the flow convergence region and different correction algorithms for calculation of the regurgitant volume were compared.MethodsRegurgitant volume was assessed in 45 patients (age 61±13 years) with organic (n=19) and functional (n=26) mitral regurgitation by the proximal flow convergence method for aliasing velocities between 14 and 64 cm/s using two-dimensional color Doppler imaging. Different correction and calculation algorithms were compared. In addition, regurgitant volume was determined using color Doppler M-mode for an aliasing velocity of 28 cm/s. The quantitative Doppler method was used as reference.ResultsIn organic mitral regurgitation correlation coefficients (mean differences) between the proximal flow convergence method and the reference method were 0.25–0.43/ 0.58–0.67 (46–111 ml/15–17 ml) before/after geometric correction of the regurgitant volume for the aliasing velocities investigated. The correlation coefficient (mean difference) using color Doppler M-mode imaging was 0.68 (85 ml). The corresponding values in functional mitral regurgitation were 0.74–0.88/0.74–0.88 (–5–8 ml/–7–5 ml) for two-dimensional color Doppler and 0.88 (–1 ml) for M-mode imaging.ConclusionsThe regurgitant volume was overestimated by the proximal flow convergence method in organic mitral regurgitation irrespective of the application of different correction algorithms or the use of color Doppler M-mode. A sufficiently reliable determination of the regurgitant volume by the proximal flow convergence method was possible in functional mitral regurgitation. In that case a simplified calculation of the regurgitant volume based on the proximal flow convergence method was feasible.