Vol 16, No 3 (2009)
Images in Cardiology
Published online: 2009-03-10
A-dip of the aortic valve by M-mode echocardiography
Cardiol J 2009;16(3):273-275.
Abstract
We present a case with the previously unreported finding of an a-dip in the M-mode tracing of
the aortic valve. An a-dip is commonly seen in the M-mode tracing of the pulmonic valve
motion, and represents near equalization of pulmonary artery and right ventricular end-
-diastolic pressures during atrial contraction. M-mode echocardiography has become an ancillary
study to the basic two-dimensional examination, but can often convey important features
of cardiac hemodynamics quite elegantly, as the present case demonstrates.
Keywords: a-dipaortic valveM-modeechocardiography