Mitral valve prolapse is an alteration present in the mitral valve, which is a heart valve formed by two sheets, which when closed separate the left atrium from the left ventricle of the heart.
Mitral valve prolapse is characterized by the inability to close mitral valves, where one or both valves may have abnormal displacement when the left ventricle contracts; this abnormal closure can facilitate the incorrect passage of blood from the left ventricle to the left ventricle.atrum, called mitral regurgitation.
- It is a common alteration and in most cases is asymptomatic and does not harm health.
- And can occur in both men and women.
In most cases, mitral valve prolapse is asymptomatic and is discovered during a routine echocardiogram.When echoographic discovery of prolapse is associated with the presence of symptoms and auscultation of a heart murmur, it is called mitral prolapse syndrome.
Major symptoms that may indicate mitral valve prolapse include chest pain, palpitations, weakness and shortness of breath after exercise, numbness of the limbs, and shortness of breath while lying down.Learn about other symptoms of mitral valve prolapse.
Mitral valve prolapse in most cases is not severe and has no symptoms, so it should not negatively affect lifestyle, when symptoms appear they can be treated and controlled with medication and surgery, only about 1% of patients with mitral valve prolapse will aggravate the problem and may require surgery to replace the valve in the future.
When mitral prolapse is very important, the risk of blood returning to the left atrium is higher, which can make the condition a bit worse; in this case, if it is not treated properly, it can lead to complications such as infection of the heart valves, severe leakage of the mitral valve and irregular heartbeat, with severe arrhythmias.
Mitral valve prolapse can occur from genetic changes, transmitted from parent to child, considered an inherited cause or for unknown causes, appearing for no reason (main cause).
In addition, mitral valve prolapse can occur due to association with other diseases, such as Maritime syndrome, heart attack, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, severe disease, polycystic kidney disease and rheumatic fever.In addition, it can occur after mitral valve surgery.
The diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse is made by the cardiologist based on the patient’s medical history and symptoms, as well as tests such as echocardiography and auscultation of the heart, in which the contraction and relaxation movements of the heart are assessed.
During cardiac auscultation, a dry noise called mesosistlic click is heard shortly after the start of ventricle contraction.If the blood returns to the left atrium due to poor valve closure, a heart murmur may be heard right after the click.
Treatment of mitral valve prolapse is usually not necessary in the absence of symptoms; However, when symptoms appear, cardiologists may recommend using certain medications to control symptoms, such as antiarrrhythmics, that help control irregular heartbeats and prevent ventricular tachycardia that can occur in some rare cases of mitral valve prolapse.
In addition, the use of diuretic medications may be recommended to help remove excess fluid returning to the lungs, beta blockers, palpitations or chest pains and anticoagulants, which help prevent clots.
In the most severe cases, where there is a large loss of blood at left rest, surgery is required to repair or replace the mitral valve.