1. Echocardiography is the standard method for evaluating the severity of aortic stenosis. The primary parameters used are peak transvalvular velocity, mean transvalvular gradient, and valve area calculated by the continuity equation.
2. Echocardiography plays a major role in evaluating mitral stenosis by allowing confirmation of diagnosis, quantification of stenosis severity, and analysis of valve anatomy. Key indices of severity include pressure gradient, mitral valve area measured by planimetry, and pressure half-time.
3. Guidelines are provided for standardized data collection and measurement techniques for assessing aortic and mitral valve stenosis severity, including recommendations for primary and secondary parameters to measure based on clinical use.