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Modified Gorlin Equation for the Diagnosis of Mixed Aortic Valve Pathology Fifty years ago, the now classic Gorlin equation was published as a diagnostic tool for calculation of the area of stenotic heart valves, and remains today as the equation of choice in clinical application. In cases exhibiting valve regurgitation however, caution has been advised in its use. In order to investigate how regurgitation affects the calculated Gorlin area, various combinations of aortic valve stenosis and regurgitation were assessed in a pulse duplicator system. The results of this study confirm that the Gorlin area is reliable in cases of pure aortic stenosis, but when regurgitation is present the area predicted by the Gorlin equation can be in error by as much as 0.55 cm2. A modified equation, which includes regurgitation, has been developed which gave a calculated area differing from the non-regurgitant valve geometric area by an amount less than 0.15 cm2 for all the stenoses and regurgitations simulated. Cardiac catheterization laboratories may find the modified equation useful for evaluating cases involving mixed aortic valve pathology. |
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