Quantification of regurgitant jets by color Doppler echocardiography: Theory and practice

Quantitation of valvar regurgitation is still a challenge in clinical and research cardiology. The early enthusiasm for a simple quantification of jet area by color Doppler imaging has yielded to a realization that the appearance of regurgitant jets is a complex process, dependent on many physical, geometric and instrument factors. Determinants of color Doppler regurgitant jets are discussed and some new quantitative promising methods for a more accurate estimation of severity of valvular regurgitation are described.