Prepare for the Practicode Cases Part 2 Test. Review case scenarios and answer multiple choice questions with detailed explanations. Enhance your proficiency and accuracy before your final assessment!

Multiple Choice

In the OPD7507 case, which echocardiographic finding indicates severe mitral regurgitation?

Vena contracta width on echocardiography is a direct, semi-quantitative measure of how much regurgitant flow is going backward through the mitral valve. It represents the narrowest part of the color Doppler jet just after it leaves the regurgitant orifice, so a wider jet reflects a larger effective regurgitant orifice area and a greater regurgitant volume. When the vena contracta is 1.3 cm, that is well above the usual threshold for severe mitral regurgitation (typically about 0.7 cm or more), signaling a large regurgitant jet and significant MR. The other findings don’t specifically indicate MR severity. A normal ejection fraction can be seen in MR because LV systolic function may be preserved despite heavy backward flow. Mild left atrial enlargement can occur with chronic MR but does not by itself prove severe MR. Moderate pulmonary insufficiency relates to backward flow through the pulmonary valve and can accompany MR but is not a direct, standalone indicator of MR severity.

Vena contracta width on echocardiography is a direct, semi-quantitative measure of how much regurgitant flow is going backward through the mitral valve. It represents the narrowest part of the color Doppler jet just after it leaves the regurgitant orifice, so a wider jet reflects a larger effective regurgitant orifice area and a greater regurgitant volume. When the vena contracta is 1.3 cm, that is well above the usual threshold for severe mitral regurgitation (typically about 0.7 cm or more), signaling a large regurgitant jet and significant MR.

The other findings don’t specifically indicate MR severity. A normal ejection fraction can be seen in MR because LV systolic function may be preserved despite heavy backward flow. Mild left atrial enlargement can occur with chronic MR but does not by itself prove severe MR. Moderate pulmonary insufficiency relates to backward flow through the pulmonary valve and can accompany MR but is not a direct, standalone indicator of MR severity.