Echocardiographic evaluation of the hemodynamic effects of chronic aortic insufficiency with observations on left ventricular performance.

Twelve patients with aortic insufficiency (AI) were investigated by echocardiographic methods using reflected ultrasound. No patients with associated mitral valvular disease were included. Estimates of each patient's aortic valvular total flow (QAt) as computed from left ventricular cavity minor-axis dimension changes at end-diastole (Dd) and end-systole (D,) were compared with their respective mitral valvular flows (GM) as estimated from the opening velocity of the anterior mitral leaflet. The arithmetic difference of the two valvular flows permitted calculation of the aortic regurgitant flow (QAr) as 0At -QM = QAr. In this series of patients QAt varied from 5.2 to