Doppler echocardiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation: uses and limitations

Completely satisfactory standards for assessing the severity of aortic regurgitation have not yet been formulated. Invasive and noninvasive methodologies have inherent limitations that prevent any single procedure being considered as a gold standard. Nevertheless, Doppler echocardiography, using the full range of imaging modalities, including pulsed-wave and continuous-wave Doppler and Doppler color-flow mapping, may detect and semiquantify the severity of aortic regurgitation with a high degree of accuracy. This article describes the application, methodology, and limitations of the Doppler indices currently used to assess aortic regurgitation.