| Description: |
Degenerative mitral valve disease is recognized as an important cause for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Degeneration of the mitral valve is a common disorder affecting around 2% of the population. The most common finding in patients is leaflet prolapse, resulting in varying degrees of mitral valve regurgitation. Mitral valve prolapse due to degenerative disease is defined by a spectrum of lesions, varying from simple chordal rupture involving prolapse of an isolated segment in otherwise normally shaped valve, to multi-segmental prolapse of one or both leaflets in a valve with significant excess tissue and large annular size. Barlow´s disease and fibroelastic deficiency are the two dominant forms of degenerative mitral valve disease and have unique differentiating characteristics on clinical and echocardiographic assessment. The prognosis of mitral valve prolapse is usually benign and is not different from that of the general population, but these with risk factors, such as age, left ventricular dysfunction, significant mitral regurgitation, enlarged left atrium/ventricle, and atrial fibrillation, are at increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. The recommended treatment for degenerative mitral valve disease is mitral valve reconstruction, because valve repair is associated with improved event free survival as compared to valve replacement. Preoperative differentiation by both cardiologist and surgeons is important because the techniques, surgical skills and expertise required to achieve a repair vary among the different etiological subsets. The appropriate timing and type of intervention for patients with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation can improve the outcomes and quality of life.Key words: mitral valve, degenerative disease, mitral valve prolapse |