[Behaviour of erythrocytes in patients with aortic of mitral stenosis (author's transl)].

The behaviour of red blood cells was studied in 17 patients with aortic stenosis and 14 patients with mitral stenosis. Anemia was present only in 1 out of 17 patients with highgraded aortic stenosis. 8 of the 17 patients showed a reduced survival time of the red blood cells indicating hemolysis in a compensated stage. 14 cases of mitral stenosis showed no evidence of hemolysis. There was a significant inverse relationship (r = --0,85) between the valve gradient and the survival time of the erythrocytes in patients with aortic stenosis; valve area and survival time were directly related (r = 0,75). In mitral stenosis, there was no significant correlation between gradient or valve area and survival time. This suggests that the gradient through the valve rather than the reduced valve area is responsible for the damage of the erythrocytes; in addition, hemolysis appears to be dependent on pressure gradient rather than on valve pathology or reduction of valve area per se.