Mitral valve prolapse

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD's medical weight loss NYC, sleep center NYC
Philadelphia medical weight loss and Philadelphia sleep clinics

Mitral valve prolapse
Synonyms	Barlow's syndrome, floppy valve syndrome
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Palpitations, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness
Complications	Mitral regurgitation, infective endocarditis, arrhythmia
Onset	Usually diagnosed in adulthood
Duration	Long-term
Types	N/A
Causes	Genetic factors, connective tissue disorders
Risks	Family history, Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Diagnosis	Echocardiography, physical examination
Differential diagnosis	Mitral regurgitation, atrial septal defect, anxiety disorder
Prevention	N/A
Treatment	Beta blockers, surgery for severe cases
Medication	Beta blockers
Prognosis	N/A
Frequency	2-3% of the population
Deaths	Rarely directly causes death

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) is a common cardiac condition where the mitral valve, one of the heart's four valves, fails to close properly. This malfunction allows blood to leak backward into the left atrium from the left ventricle, a process known as regurgitation. MVP is often characterized by a distinctive heart murmur, which can be identified during a physical examination. While many individuals with MVP do not experience symptoms, some may encounter chest pain, palpitations, and disturbed heart rhythm.

Anatomy of the Mitral Valve

The mitral valve plays a crucial role in the heart's function by ensuring unidirectional blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. It comprises two leaflets (or cusps) that open and close with each heartbeat. In MVP, these leaflets bulge (prolapse) into the left atrium during systole (the heart's contraction phase).

Anatomical diagram of the heart highlighting the mitral valve.

Causes

MVP can be caused by a variety of factors, including congenital heart defects, age-related changes, and connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome. The exact cause is often idiopathic, meaning it arises spontaneously without a known reason.

Symptoms

While many individuals with MVP are asymptomatic, symptoms can include:

• Palpitations
• Chest pain not associated with coronary artery disease
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath, especially during exercise
• Light-headedness
• Dizziness

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of MVP typically involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests including:

• Echocardiography: An ultrasound of the heart that provides detailed images of the mitral valve and can assess the severity of prolapse and regurgitation.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): To detect any disturbances in heart rhythm.
• Chest X-ray: To view the heart's shape and size.

Echocardiogram showing mitral valve prolapse.

Treatment

Treatment for MVP depends on the severity of the condition and the presence of symptoms. Most individuals with mild MVP do not require treatment, but monitoring is essential to detect any changes over time. For symptomatic patients or those with significant mitral regurgitation, treatment options may include:

• Medications to manage symptoms (e.g., beta-blockers for palpitations)
• Mitral valve repair or replacement in severe cases
• Lifestyle changes and avoidance of stimulants like caffeine and tobacco

Lifestyle and Management

Individuals with MVP should engage in regular follow-up care, including echocardiograms to monitor the condition's progression. Healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet, are recommended to maintain cardiovascular health.

Implications

Although MVP is generally not life-threatening, it can increase the risk of mitral regurgitation, infective endocarditis, and, in rare cases, cardiac arrhythmias. Proper management and regular monitoring can mitigate these risks.

External Links

• Mayo Clinic - Mitral Valve Prolapse
• American Heart Association - About Heart Valves

References

<references/>

• Mitral Valve Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment by Robert O. Bonow and Patrick T. O'Gara
• The Natural and Unnatural History of the Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome by Philip A. Poole-Wilson

Cardiovascular disease A-Z

Most common cardiac diseases

• Cardiac arrhythmia‎
• Cardiogenetic disorders‎
• Cardiomegaly‎
• Cardiomyopathy‎
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation‎
• Chronic rheumatic heart diseases‎
• Congenital heart defects‎
• Heart neoplasia‎
• Ischemic heart diseases‎
• Pericardial disorders
• Syndromes affecting the heart‎
• Valvular heart disease‎

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
• Acute decompensated heart failure
• Arteriosclerotic heart disease
• Athletic heart syndrome
• Atrial flutter
• Atrioventricular fistula
• Cardiovascular disease in Australia
• Autoimmune heart disease

B

• Brown atrophy of the heart

C

• Ebb Cade
• Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiac asthma
• Cardiac tamponade
• Cardiogenic shock
• Cardiogeriatrics
• Cardiorenal syndrome
• Cardiotoxicity
• Carditis
• Coronary artery aneurysm
• Coronary artery anomaly
• Coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Coronary artery ectasia
• Coronary occlusion
• Coronary steal
• Coronary thrombosis
• Coronary vasospasm
• Cœur en sabot
• Coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy

D

• Duke Treadmill Score
• Duroziez's disease

E

• Eisenmenger's syndrome
• Embryocardia
• Endocardial fibroelastosis
• Eosinophilic myocarditis

H

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• Heart to Heart (1949 film)
• High-output heart failure
• Hyperdynamic precordium

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

I

• Idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis
• Interventricular dyssynchrony
• Intraventricular dyssynchrony
• Isolated atrial amyloidosis

K

• Keshan disease

L

• Loeffler endocarditis

M

• Mydicar
• Myocardial bridge
• Myocardial disarray
• Myocardial rupture
• Myocardial scarring
• Myocardial stunning
• Myocarditis

N

• Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

O

• OLR1
• Ostial disease

P

• Papillary fibroelastoma
• Pathophysiology of heart failure
• Postpericardiotomy syndrome
• Pulmonary vein stenosis

R

• Right axis deviation
• Roemheld syndrome

S

• Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease
• SCAR-Fc
• Shone's syndrome
• Strain pattern
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Sudden cardiac death of athletes

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

T

• Traumatic cardiac arrest

V

• Ventricular aneurysm
• Vibroacoustic disease
• Viral cardiomyopathy

W

• Waon therapy

This article is a medical stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!
Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia