Accuracy of mitral valve area in patients with mitral stenosis measured by echocardiography : Compared with operative mitral valve area

Background：Measurement of echocardiographic mitral valve area(MVA) is a useful non-invasive method of estimating the stenotic mitral valve area. This study was undertaken to evaluate the accuracy of echocardiographic MVA measurements by comparing MVAs measured by the planimetric and the pressure half-time method versus direct MVA measurement by using a cone shaped device specifically made for direct measurement of MVA. Methods and Results：The study population consisted of 22 consecutive patients from August 1993 to February 1996. All the patients underwent 2D planimetry and Doppler echocardiographic MVA measurements before and after valve replacement surgery；direct measurement also was performed after surgery. Five patients(22.7%) had normal sinus rhythm, and the rest of the patients had atrial fibrillation. Two-dimensional echocardiographic examinations were attempted in 22 patients, and adequate measurements were obtained in 21 of the patients studied. Mean mitral valve area were 0.99±0.32cm2 ranged from 0.42 to 1.68cm2 on 2D planimetry method, 0.93±0.32cm2 ranged from 0.42 to 1.68cm2 on Doppler pressure half-time method, 1.17±0.20cm2 ranged from 0.93 to 1.68cm2 on direct measurement of mitral valve area after surgery. 2D planimetry method(r＝0.621, p＝0.003, SE＝0.165), pressure half-time method(r＝0.454, p＝0.003 SE＝0.187), and transmitral peak velocity (r＝-0.480, p＝0.026, SE＝0.189) was relatively well correlate with operative mitral valve area. There was relatively good agreement between direct and 2D planimetric measurements and between