This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Boughner, D. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Boughner, D. R.

Circulation, Vol 52, 874-879, Copyright © 1975 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Assessment of aortic insufficiency by transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound

DR Boughner

Using a 2.2 MHZ directional Doppler ultrasound unit, the instantaneous peak aortic velocity pattern was recorded transcutaneously in 15 normal persons and 15 patients with aortic insufficiency. The transducer was positioned in the suprasternal notch and aimed posteriorly to cross the descending aortic arch at an angle approximately parallel to blood flow. The electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, and carotid pulse tracings were recorded simultaneously. In patients with aortic insufficiency there was significant diastolic flow that was not present in normal persons. The planimetered area under the systolic and diastolic velocity tracings represents the distance forward and backward that the stroke volume moves. The ratio was used to approximate the percent regurgitation, which ranged from 9% to 68%. From left ventricular angiograms in the patients with aortic regurgitation single plane ventricular volume measurements were used to calculate ventricular output and when compared with the Fick cardiac output gave an estimate of true percent regurgitation. A strong correlation was obtained with the Doppler estimate (r=0.91), confirming that this simple ultrasound technique can accurately assess the degree of aortic insufficiency.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Veyrat Those who faced turbulence and launched the era of flow dynamic concepts for cardiac investigation Cardiovasc Res, August 1, 2001; 51(2): 205 - 216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S F de Marchi, S Windecker, B C Aeschbacher, and C Seiler Influence of left ventricular relaxation on the pressure half time of aortic regurgitation Heart, November 1, 1999; 82(5): 607 - 613. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. C. Sutton, R. Kluger, S. U. Ahmed, S. C. Reimold, and J. B. Mark Flow reversal in the descending aorta: A guide to intraoperative assessment of aortic regurgitation with transesophageal echocardiography J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., September 1, 1994; 108(3): 576 - 582. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Mitani, J. Tamai, and K. Miyatake Consequence of Diseases in Aorta on Evaluation of Aortic Regurgitation by Aortic Flow Velocity Profiles Angiology, July 1, 1994; 45(7): 613 - 619. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. A. GRAYBURN, M. D. SMITH, R. HANDSHOE, B. J. FRIEDMAN, and A. N. DeMARIA Detection of Aortic Insufficiency by Standard Echocardiography, Pulsed Doppler Echocardiography, and Auscultation: A Comparison of Accuracies Ann Intern Med, May 1, 1986; 104(5): 599 - 605. [Abstract] [PDF]