[Valvular insufficiency in dilated cardiomyopathy diagnosed by color Doppler echocardiography].

In order to assess the incidence of valvular regurgitation in dilated cardiomyopathy, 26 patients, aged 32 to 61 years, were prospectively studied by two-dimensional echocardiography and color doppler flow imaging. Patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. All patients underwent coronary angiography which excluded coronary artery disease. Contrast ventriculography showed a dilated and hypocontractile left ventricle and right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy excluded specific heart muscle disease. Regurgitant flows were observed as a mosaic pattern and were semiquantitatively classified as mild, moderate or severe according to the width and depth of the regurgitant jets. Twenty-six (100%) patients had mitral regurgitation, 9 (34,6%) had aortic regurgitation, 12 (46.2%) had tricuspid regurgitation and 11 (42.3%) had pulmonary regurgitation. Multivalvular regurgitation was observed in 77% of patients occurring across two, three, or all four valves in 30.8%; 30.8% and 15.4% of patients, respectively. Two dimensional echocardiography color flow imaging shows a high prevalence of multivalvular regurgitation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.