Q. Investigation of aortic regurgitation by Echocardiogram?

Echocardiography is done to confirm the diagnosis of aortic regurgitation, evaluate the cause of AR and assess the aortic valve and severity of aortic regurgitation. It is also used to assess the left ventricular size and function.

Diastolic flutter of anterior mitral leaflet and premature closure of mitral valve in severe, often acute, aortic regurgitation are noted. Dilated chamber with increased contractility suggesting volume overload pattern of left ventricle is seen. 2 D guided M-mode measurements should be made to record LV dimensions, mass and ejection fraction. It should be noted that dimension measurements can vary due to intra and inter observer variability, interim changes in loading conditions, instrumentation factors and physiological variability. Reliability is increased by comparing with previous recordings. Whenever changes are noted, it is prudent to repeat examination after a shorter interval. On the basis of 2 D Doppler and color flow imaging, severe aortic regurgitation can be differentiated from mild aortic regurgitation by following parameters:

When expertise is available MRI gives equal information as obtained with echocardiographic examination. This is specially suitable in patients with poor echo windows.