Table 2.
Grading the severity of chronic AR with echocardiography.
| AR severity | |||
| Mild | Moderate | Severe | |
| TTE | |||
| Semiquantitative parameters: | |||
| VCW (cm) | <0.3 | 0.3–0.6 | >0.6 |
| Jet width/LVOT width, central jets (%) | <25 | 25–45 46–64 a | ≥65 |
| Jet width (mm) | <5 | 5–10 | >10 |
| Reversal diastolic flow in proximal DAo, PW (VTI cm) | <10 | 10–15 | >15 |
| Reversal diastolic flow in AbAo, PW (VTI cm) | - | - | Holdiastolic + |
| Jet deceleration rate, CW (PHT, msec) | Incomplete or faint | Medium, 500–200 | Steep, <200 |
| Slow, >500 | |||
| Quantitative parameters: ++ | |||
| Regurgitant Volume (mL/beat) | <30 | 30–44 45–59 a | ≥60 |
| Regurgitant Fraction (%) | <30 | 30–39 40–49 a | ≥50 |
| EROA (cm2) | <0.10 | 0.10–0.19 0.20–0.29 a | ≥0.30 |
| CMR | |||
| Regurgitant Fraction (%) | <20 | 20–33 | >33 |
| Regurgitant Volume (mL) | <30 | 30–45 | >45 |
| Reversal diastolic flow in proximal Dao | - | - | Holodiastolic + |
AbAo: Abdominal aorta; CWD: continuous wave Doppler; DAo: descending thoracic aorta; EROA: effective regurgitant orifice area; LVOT: left ventricular outflow tract; PHT: pressure half-time; PW: pulsed wave Doppler; VCW: vena contracta width; VTI: velocity-time integral. + Very high specificity; ++ Only with high quality image and by expert groups; a Moderate AR is subclassified in mild-to-moderate and moderate-to-severe.