Measurement of the end-diastolic pressure gradient and mitral valve area in mitral stenosis by Doppler ultrasound.

The pressure gradient across the mitral valve in mitral stenosis was determined by measurement of the maximum recorded velocity of the mitral jet at end-diastole using non-invasive Doppler ultrasound. The accuracy of the Doppler ultrasound technique was evaluated in 25 adult patients with mitral stenosis. In 10 patients, simultaneous ultrasound recordings and manometric recordings were made during cardiac catheterization. In seventeen patients with pure mitral stenosis, the mitral valve area was calculated from the manometric data using the Gorlin formula and from the ultrasound data. Good correlation was found between the Doppler ultrasound and the manometric method for the determination of both the end-diastolic pressure gradient and the mitral valve area. Results confirm that the non-invasive Doppler ultrasound technique is of diagnostic value in the assessment of mitral stenosis.