Real-Time Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Assessment of Severity of Mitral Regurgitation Using Proximal Isovelocity Surface Area and Vena Contracta Area Method. Lessons We Learned and Clinical Implications

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is considered the most common valve disease with a prevalence of 2–3 % of significant regurgitation (moderate to severe and severe) in the general population. Accurate assessment of the severity of regurgitation was demonstrated to be of significant importance for patient management and prognosis and consequently has been widely recognized in recent guidelines. However, evaluation of severity of valvular regurgitation can be potentially difficult with the largest challenges presenting in cases of mitral regurgitation. Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) by the use of color Doppler has the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional flow quantification using 2D color Doppler methods. Recent studies validated the application of color Doppler RT3DE for the assessment of flow based on vena contracta area (VCA) and proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA). Particularly, the assessment of VCA by color Doppler RT3DE led to a change of paradigm by understanding the VCA as being strongly asymmetric in the majority of patients and etiologies. In this review, we provide a discussion of the current state of clinical evaluation, limitations, and future perspectives of the two methods and their presentation in recent literature and guidelines.