A New Method to Quantify Mitral Regurgitation

INTRODUCTION In cases of mitral regurgitation, the severity of the regurgitation is the major determinant of progression to left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction. Therefore, precise measurement of regurgitant volume in patients with mitral regurgitation is important for evaluating the progression of the disease which can then determine the optimal time for surgical repair or replacement. A wide range of analytic approaches and diagnostic technologies have been proposed to aid clinical evaluation of mitral r e g u rgitation. Yet all existing quantification methods have shown limitations in one form or another. The aim of this paper is to present a new technique based on a control volume method which can accurately quantify mitral regurgitation with the use of velocity encoded magnetic resonance images.