Early diastole in mitral valve disease.

Noninvasive findings from the study of early diastole in patients with mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation are reported. Isovolumic relaxation time and the opening phase of the mitral valve are the main subintervals of early diastole. In mitral stenosis, a 3rd subinterval, the ECHO X-E phase, is described. Also, the effect of the cardiac cycle length on these intervals is studied, as well as the relationship between the opening snap, the O point of the apexcardiogram and the mitral echographic curve in early diastole.