Circulation
-
To clarify the role of color Doppler echocardiography in the evaluation of mitral valve prolapse, we studied 49 consecutive patients in whom the sites of mitral valve prolapse were confirmed at the time of operation. The study group consisted of 22 patients with anterior leaflet prolapse, 24 patients with posterior leaflet prolapse, and three patients with multiple scallop prolapse (one patient with both anterior leaflet and middle scallop prolapse, and two patients with both medial and lateral scallop prolapse). Two-dimensional echocardiographic diagnosis of anterior leaflet prolapse was correct in all patients. ⋯ The sites of acceleration flows detected by color Doppler echocardiography coincided with those of prolapse confirmed in all at the time of operation. There was a significant correlation between the maximum area of acceleration flow signals and severity of mitral regurgitation estimated by angiography. In the 13 patients with medial scallop prolapse and the three patients with lateral scallop prolapse, a regurgitant jet originated from a bulged portion of the posterior leaflet and was directed toward the opposite left atrial cavity to the bulged portion by short-axis images of color Doppler echocardiography.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)