Mitral valve prolapse
| Mitral valve prolapse | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Floppy mitral valve syndrome, systolic click murmur syndrome, billowing mitral leaflet, Barlow's syndrome |
| In mitral valve prolapse, the leaflets of the mitral valve prolapse back into the left atrium. | |
| Specialty | Cardiology |
| Symptoms | Palpitations, atypical precordial pain, dyspnea on exertion, low BMI, electrocardiogram abnormalities (ventricular tachycardia), syncope, low blood pressure, headaches, lightheadedness, other signs suggestive of autonomic nervous system dysfunction (dysautonomia) |
| Complications | Mitral regurgitation |
| Duration | Lifelong |
| Risk factors | Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, Graves disease, and chest wall deformities such as pectus excavatum |
| Diagnostic method | Echocardiogram, auscultation |
| Frequency | 1 in 40 people, 2-3% of total population in the United States 3.36% in a Taiwanese military study |
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a valvular heart disease characterized by the displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the left atrium during systole. It is the primary form of myxomatous degeneration of the valve. There are various types of MVP, broadly classified as classic and nonclassic. In severe cases of classic MVP, complications include mitral regurgitation, infective endocarditis, congestive heart failure, and, in rare circumstances, cardiac arrest.
The diagnosis of MVP primarily relies on echocardiography, which uses ultrasound to visualize the mitral valve.
MVP is the most common valvular abnormality, and is estimated to affect 2–3% of the population and 1 in 40 people might have it.
The condition was first described by John Brereton Barlow in 1966. It was subsequently termed mitral valve prolapse by J. Michael Criley. Although mid-systolic click (the sound produced by the prolapsing mitral leaflet) and systolic murmur associated with MVP were observed as early as 1887 by physicians M. Cuffer and M. Barbillon using a stethoscope.