THE AORTIC VALVE

THE PULMONARY VALVE

Normal aortic valve

M-mode motion of the valve has a "box" appearance.

M-mode color doppler imaging of the aortic valve

• During diastole the free edge of the valve is seen in the middle of the lumen of the aorta as a bisecting line.
• The valve opens rapidly and moves towards the aortic wall. This rapid opening is depicted as the sidewall of the "box".
• The valves (and "box") remain open during the entire systole.
• The right side of the "box" is formed by the rapid closure of the valve at the end of systole.

VELOCITIES ACROSS THE AORTIC AND PULMONARY VALVES (1)

• Maximum velocity across aortic valve
      = 70 ± 2.6 cm/sec (range 56-94)
• Mean velocity across aortic valve
      = 18 ± 0.7 cm/sec (range 13.7-22.5)
• Maximum velocity across pulmonary valve
      = 60 ± 1.9 cm/sec (range 42.1-81.6)
• Mean velocity across pulmonary valve
      = 16 ± 0.6 cm/sec (range 9.2-25.7)

REFERENCES

1. Reed KL, Meijboom EJ, Sahn D et.al. Cardiac doppler flow velocities in human fetuses. Circulation 1986;73:41-46.