Evaluation of valvular regurgitation by cine magnetic resonance imaging (0.5 T)

The usefulness of cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a method for the quantification of valvular regurgitation was studied. Cine MRI (0.5 T) was performed by using gradient echo technique in 29 patients with various valvular regurgitation (13 mitral regurgitation, 9 aortic regurgitation, 7 tricuspid regurgitation) and the data were compared with those by Doppler color-flow mapping. A distance of signal loss in cine MRI was compared with that of regurgitant jet in Doppler color-flow mapping. A good correlation between the two methods was noted in each valvular disease (r = 0.989 in mitral regurgitation, r = 0.908 in aortic regurgitation and r = 0.985 in tricuspid regurgitation). Cine MRI, even if 0.5 T, is a useful method of noninvasive quantificaiton of valvular regurgitation. (author)