ABSTRACT

The incidence of valvular diseases in the general population is about 1-2%.1 These cardiac lesions have important hemodynamic repercussions because they modify preload, aerload, systolic, and diastolic ventricular function. Over time there is adaptive ventricular remodelling but gradually the disease exceeds the compensatory capacity of the heart. This chapter will focus on the echocardiographic assessment of valvular diseases for the novice echocardiographer. Modalities useful to identify valvular anomalies and evaluate their severity are presented.