Movement of mitral valve during diastole and blood flow velocity through the valve can be accurately measured using M-mode and pulsed wave Doppler technique, respectively. However, the relationship between mechanical excursion and flow phenomenon at the same cardiac cycle has not been seriously investigated.

The subjects of this study included twenty cases with normal mitral flow pattern in Doppler echocardiography (Group I, mean age:44±20.8years, mean ejection fraction (EF):52±20.9%), twenty three cases with relaxation abnormality (Group II, mean age:59±11.4years, mean EF:43±18.2%) and seventeen cases with restrictive physiology (Group III, mean age: 47±15.9years, mean EF: 24±11.0%). We measured excursion of mitral leaflets at early (DE) and late (DA) diastole, area of mitral valvular opening using two dimensional calibration on M mode images, and transmitral inflow velocity (E (early ventricular filling)-, A (atrial contraction)-velocity), TVI (time velocity integral) on Doppler echocardiography.

DE-excursions (mm) in group I, II, III were 16.8±4.7, 14.2±3.5, 15.3±4.1, DA-excursions (mm) were 9.8±3.2, 10.7±3.0, 8.3±2.7, E-areas (cm2) were 2.8±1.3, 2.6±0.8, 2.5±1.0, A-areas (cm2) were 1.7±0.8, 1.7±0.7, 2.0±0.6, respectively. In E-, A-velocity, deceleration time, E-TVI and A-TVI, there were significant differences among three groups. However, in DE-, DA-excursion, E-, A-area, there were no significant differences among three groups. Between DE excursion and E velocity, DA excursion and A velocity, and total opening area and total TVI in total subjects, significant correlations were absent.

The mitral excursions and mitral opening areas on M mode images did not show any significant correlations with the mitral inflow velocities and TVI by pulsed Doppler, which suggests that the excursion of mitral leaflets is independent of transmitral inflow.