Echocardiographic evaluation of heart disease is used extensively to verify many clinical diagnoses and assists with the formulation and timing of treatment strategies. The following are some of these clinical entities.
A. Valvular Heart Disease
1. Mitral Valve Disease
a. Mitral Stenosis
This disease involves a tight mitral valve that restricts blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. Echocardiographic examination can estimate the degree and state of stenosis. If the stenosis is mild the valve area ¼ 1.6–2.0 cm2 , in moderate mitral stenosis the valve area ¼ 1–1.5 cm2, and in severe stenosis the valve area¼<1 cm2.
b. Mitral Regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation (mitral valve incompetence) consists of a leaking or incompetent valve that includes mitral valve prolapse. It is difficult to decide from the history and physical examination whether surgery is necessary in some patients. Echocardiographic evaluation is extremely useful, especially TEE, to evaluate severe degrees of regurgitation, disruption of the chordae (tendinous cords that hold the mitral valve in place), and a flail mitral valve leaflet that might require urgent surgical correction (see chapter entitled Valve Diseases).

Страницы: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4