COMPARACION ENTRE LOS INDICES ECOCARDIOGRAFICOS Y HEMODINAMICOS EN LA VALORACION DE LA ESTENOSIS MITRAL

The echocardiographic data (the amplitude of the mitral echogram, the velocity of the E to F slope and the dimension of the left atrium) of 12 patients with mitral stenosis were compared with hemodynamic data obtained during a cardiac catheterization (the mitral valve area and the peak left ventricular filling rate, expressed in millimeters/second [dv/dtD] and normalized by the end-diastolic volume [dv/dtD/VTD seg^-1]). None of the echocardiographic variables showed a good correlation with the hemodynamic indices. It is concluded that echocardiography is a useful tool in the diagnosis of mitral stenosis, but at the same time there is not a single echocardiographic sign which by itself can evaluate correctly the severity of mitral stenosis.