ASSESSMENT OF MITRAL VALVE AREA IN PATIENTS WITH I I MITRAL STENOSIS BY FLOW CONVERGENCE REGION

Two-dimensional echocardiographic planimetry (PLN) and the Doppler pressure half-time (PHT) method have been used to estimate mitral valve area in patients with mitral stenosis. There are some conditions that affect the accuracy of both methods. Recently, the flow convergence region method (FCR) •has been shown to be accurate for calculating the MVA in patients with MS.The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of FCR in assessing MV A and to compare it with measurements derived by PLN and PHT with both TIE and TEE. Flow area as another method for measuring the mitral valve area was also added to PLN and PHT as a comparative method.This study was carried out on 40 patients with rheumatic MS. 18 patients were in sinus rhythm and 22 had AF. 11 patients had pure MS, 4 had MS combined with AR, 11 had M.S. combined with MR, and 14 had MS and combined both MR and AR.Full medical history taking, thorough clinical examination, ECG, chest X-ray and echocardiographic examination. 40 patients 000%) underwent the examination by TTE, 37 patients (92.5%) underwent the examination by TEE.~1- Transthoracic estimation of MV A:MV A was estimated by FCR, PLN, PHT and FA methods in all the patients..