Doppler echocardiographic determination of aortic and pulmonary valve orifice areas in normal adult subjects.

Cross-sectional and Doppler echocardiography were performed in 36 healthy adult subjects (aged 19 to 50 yr, mean 28 +/- 9; male 23, female 13) to establish normal values for aortic and pulmonary valve orifice areas. Standard continuity equation using echo-determined ventricular outflow tract diameters and Doppler-determined flow-velocity integrals from the outflow tracts and the corresponding great arteries, was employed to calculate the valve areas. Mean left ventricular outflow tract diameter was 1.92 +/- 0.17 cm (range 1.5-2.3 cm) and right ventricular outflow tract diameter was 1.80 +/- 0.18 cm (range 1.5-2.2 cm). Calculated aortic valve orifice area was 2.63 +/- 0.31 cm2 (1.76 +/- 0.2 cm2/m2) and correlated poorly with body surface area (r = 0.31, p > 0.05). Mean pulmonary valve orifice area was 3.01 +/- 0.36 cm2 (2.02 +/- 0.20 cm2/m2) and had a modest correlation with body surface area (r = 0.38, p < 0.05). No difference was observed between males and females for indexed aortic and pulmonary valve orifice areas. These data provide normal values for echocardiographically determined semilunar valve orifice areas and question the practice of indexing valve area for body surface in adult subjects.