[A study of segmentary arterial blood pressure in the evaluation of obstructive arteriopathy of the lower limbs (author's transl)]. / Studio della pressione arteriosa segmentaria nella valutazione dell'arteriopatia ostruttiva degli arti interiori

The pressure segmentary systolic blood pressure of lower limbs is described in normal and arteriopathic subjects. After reviewing the various methods currently used, the authors emphasize the diagnostic value of ankle/arm pressure index and segmentary gradient. The limits of the method are also discussed. The changes in ankle pressure after exercise are then considered, as a noninvasive useful technique in the functional evaluation of obstructive arterial disease in the lower limbs.

Evaluation of mitral stenosis by cine magnetic resonance imaging.

To evaluate the ability of cine magnetic resonance imaging (cine MRI) in the assessment of mitral stenosis (MS), we studied 20 patients (14 women and 6 men, mean age 60.6 +/- 8.5 years) with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis by using an 0.5 T magnet. Cine MRI showed several signs of MS. Mitral leaflet thickening, reduced diastolic opening, and abnormal valve motion toward the left ventricular outflow tract were all common features. MS was also characterized by an abnormal diastolic transmitral signal from blood. Both left atrial and left ventricular dimensions were similar to those obtained at two-dimensional echocardiography (2-DE) (r = 0.89 and r = 0.86, respectively; p less than 0.001). A significant relationship was also found between the maximum mitral leaflet separation measured by cine MRI in diastole and the mitral valve area as calculated using the pressure half-time method and continuous wave Doppler (r = 0.81; p less than 0.001). These data indicate the improved ability of MRI to detect and assess MS and also suggest that this technique may contribute to the noninvasive assessment of MS.