Assessment of aortic valve disease - a clinician oriented review

Table 4 Criteria for the diagnosis of severe aortic regurgitation

	Mild AR	Moderate AR	Severe AR
Ratio between the AR jet diameter and the LVOT diameter	< 25%	25%-64%	≥ 65%
Vena contracta (mm)	< 3	3-5.9	≥ 6
Regurgitant volume (mL/beat)	< 30	30-59	≥ 60
Regurgitant fraction	< 30%	30%-49%	≥ 50%
EROA (cm2)	< 0.1	0.1-0.29	≥ 0.3
Diastolic backflow in the descending thoracic and/or abdominal aorta	Minimal	Less than holodiastolic	Holodiastolic (especially for backflow documented in the abdominal aorta)
Angiographic	1+	2+	3-4+
LV dilatation	No	No	Yes (mandatory for chronic severe AR)

AR: Aortic regurgitation; LVOT: Left ventricular outflow tract; EROA: Effective regurgitant orifice area.