Ency. home > Disease > M > Mitral valve prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Barlow's syndrome; Floppy mitral valve; Myxomatous mitral valve; Billowing mitral valve; Systolic click-murmur syndrome; Prolapsing mitral leaflet syndrome

Definition:

A disorder in which the mitral heart valve billows out and does not close properly, allowing blood to leak (backflow) into the left atrium.

Causes and Risks

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is one cause of mitral regurgitation (leakage of blood from insufficient valve closure). It occurs in about .3% to 5% of the adult US population; women are affected twice as commonly as males.

Mitral valve prolapse is the most common cause of mitral regurgitation requiring surgical treatment in the US. Some forms of MVP seem to be hereditary. MVP has been associated with Marfan's syndrome characteristics.

Most individuals with mitral valve prolapse are thin women who may have minor chest wall deformities, scoliosis, or other disorders. There may also be an atrial septal defect high in the wall of the heart (called an ostium secundum defect). Other risk factors include pregnancy (it causes an increased blood volume and increased workload on the heart), fatigue or overwork.

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