Hana Línková, Róbert Petr
Aortic regurgitation is a common valvular heart disease. Chronic aortic regurgitation has a prevalence of approximately
1% in European population, affecting rather younger patients. The most common causes of chronic aortic
regurgitation in developed countries are calcific aortic valve and bicuspid aortic valve. Another relatively frequent
cause of chronic aortic regurgitation is the aortic root dilation. According to the current guidelines for valvular heart
disease, surgical treatment is recommended for patients with severe symptomatic aortic regurgitation and left ventricular
ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50 %, or if other cardiothoracic surgery is planned. The current guidelines also
recommend considering surgery in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic regurgitation when LVEF is ≥ 50 %
and end‑systolic
diameter > 50 mm, or indexed diameter > 25 mm/m2. Echocardiography plays a crucial role in determining
the significance of aortic regurgitation. The paper addresses echocardiography that plays a crucial role
for the assessment of severity of aortic regurgitation. Imaging of aortic regurgitation should evaluate the etiology,
mechanism of dysfunction, severity of regurgitation, consequences, and the possibility of repair.