Ecocardiografía en la valvulopatía mitral

echocardiography has become the premier method for the evaluation of valvular heart disease. in mitral valve disease, echo provides detailed anatomic and functional information. using echo has allowed us to increase our understanding of the mechanisms that play a role in mitral regurgitation. echocardiography not-only detects the presence of mitral regurgitation (mr) but also allows quantification of its severity. the importance of quantitative data forthe prognosis of patients with mr has been shown recently. intraoperative echo has been very helpful in guiding surgical repair and improving its results. the new techniques for percutaneous treatment of mitral regurgitation strongly rely on echo for on-line monitoring of device deployment and immediate results. (arch cardiol mex 2005; 75:188-196)