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Mitral valve prolapse
(also called MVP, floppy valve syndrome, Barlow’s syndrome, click-murmur
syndrome)
Click here to learn
about:
What
is Mitral Valve Prolapse?
What
are the symptoms of Mitral Valve Prolapse?
How
is Mitral Valve Prolapse diagnosed?
How
to find a doctor if you have Mitral Valve Prolapse?
For more information
on valve disease and its treatment, see Valve Disease
What
is Mitral Valve Prolapse?
Mitral valve prolapse
is a type of myxomatous valve disease. The tissue of the mitral
valve leaflets and chordae are abnormally stretchy, so that as the heart
beats, the mitral valve bows or flops back into the left atrium.
- Those with mitral
valve prolapse may not have any regurgitation (leaky valve) or they
may have a range of severity from a mild leak to a very floppy, leaky
valve.
- The
majority of people have no leak or a mild leak. In this case, MVP is
not a cause for concern. A
small percentage of people with mitral valve prolapse have severe MVP,
requiring further treatment.
- Mitral
valve prolapse is very common, affecting about three to five percent
of the population.
- Females
are affected twice as often as males.
- Mitral
valve prolapse can be seen in children, teens, and adults.
What
are the symptoms of Mitral Valve Prolapse?
Most people
with MVP have no symptoms. Some people have symptoms such as:
- bursts of rapid
heartbeat (palpitations)
- chest discomfort
- easily tired (fatigue)
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
- anxiety
Symptoms do not always
relate to how serious your MVP is. You may have frequent symptoms, yet
diagnostic tests may show your valve leak is not significant. These symptoms
may cause you to worry, but they are not dangerous or life threatening,
and, may not require treatment at all.
How
is Mitral Valve Prolapse diagnosed?
Mitral valve prolapse
is usually diagnosed during a routine physical exam. MVP is called the click-murmur
sound because the doctor will hear a click and a murmur (abnormal blood
flow through the valve) as the valve leaflets bow back into left atrium
with each heartbeat.
Other tests used to
diagnose valve disease may include:
- Echocardiography
- Transesophageal
echocardiography
- Cardiac Catheterization
(cardiac cath or angiogram)
- Radionuclide scans
- Magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI)
Click
here for more information about these diagnostic tests
How
is Mitral Valve Prolapse treated?
In most cases mitral
valve prolapse is treated with:
Reassurance
If you have symptoms
with mitral valve prolapse, it can cause anxiety about your heart and
the severity of your valve disease. However, most people with MVP need
only endocarditis prevention and yearly follow-up appointments. No further
treatment is needed.
Endocarditis prevention
If you have MVP, you
may be at risk for getting endocarditis, an infection that causes damage
to the heart valves. If you have mitral valve prolapse with leaflet thickening
or regurgitation (leaking) you need to follow these guidelines:
- Tell your doctors
and dentist you have valve disease. You may want to carry a card with
this information.
- Call your doctor
if you have symptoms of an infection (sore throat, general body achiness,
and fever). Colds and flus do not cause endocarditis. But, infections,
which may have the same symptoms, do. So, to be safe, call your doctor.
- Take good care
of your teeth and gums to prevent infections. See your dentist for
regular visits.
- Take antibiotics
before you undergo any procedure that may cause bleeding:
- any dental
work (even a basic teeth cleaning)
- invasive
tests
- most major
or minor surgery
Check with your doctor
about the type and amount of antibiotics you should take. Click
here for more information about Bacterial Endocarditis prevention.
Regular follow-up
visits
- Your doctor will
want to monitor the progress of your valve disease with regular appointments.
They may be spaced once a year or more often, if your doctor feels you
need to be followed more closely.
- Your appointment
will include a medical exam. Diagnostic studies may be repeated at regular
intervals.
Heart Surgery
In about 10 to 15
percent of people with MVP, further treatment is needed. In this case,
valve surgery will be performed to repair the mitral valve. Click
here to learn more about valve surgery.
How
to find a doctor if you have Mitral Valve Prolapse
Click
here to find a Cleveland Clinic Heart Center Cardiologist who specialize
in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with valve disease.
Resources:
- Gillinov AM. Chordal
transfer for repair of anterior leaflet prolapse. Multimedia Manual
of Cardiothoracic Surg, 2005.
- Gillinov AM, Cosgrove
DM. Current status of mitral valve repair. Am Heart Hosp J, 2003;1:47-54.
- Gillinov AM, Faber
CN, Houghtaling PL, Blackstone EH, Lam BK, Diaz R, Lytle BW, et al.
Repair versus replacement for degenerative mitral valve disease with
coexisting ischemic heart disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 2003;125:1350-62.
- Gillinov AM, Banbury
MK, Cosgrove DM. Hemisternotomy approach for aortic and mitral valve
surgery. J Card Surg, 2000;15:15-20.
- Gillinov AM, Banbury
MK, Cosgrove DM. Is minimally invasive heart valve surgery a paradigm
for the future? Curr Cardiol Rep, 1999;1:318-22. Review.
- Gillinov AM, Cosgrove
DM, Blackstone EH, Diaz R, Arnold JH, Lytle BW, Smedira NG, Sabik JF,
McCarthy PM, Loop FD. Durability of mitral valve repair for degenerative
disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;116:734-43.
- Alpert J, Sabek
J, Cosgrove D. (1998) Mitral Valve Disease, Mitral Valve Disease, In
Topol E. (Ed.), Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine (pp.503-532).
Philadelphia: Lipincott-Raven.
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