Can mitral regurgitation be misdiagnosed?

A heart condition called mitral valve prolapse has often been misdiagnosed — especially in women — says Dr. Judith Reichman.

Can mitral valve prolapse be missed on echocardiogram?

ECHO is usually sufficient to establish a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse, but in some cases, it can miss the condition. The echo will also quantitate the degree of abnormality, including any significant leaky mitral valve or mitral insufficiency.

What does trivial mitral regurgitation mean?

When the mitral valve does not fully close and leaks (i.e. blood flows backwards) it is called mitral regurgitation. A trivial or mild amount of mitral regurgitation is considered within normal physiological limits. Concern is raised when the mitral regurgitation becomes moderate to severe.

Can trivial mitral regurgitation progress?

Those with a history of mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation are at risk of their disease progressing, The higher the degree of mitral regurgitation the more likely it is to progress.

How can you tell the difference between MR and as?

The MR murmur should be differentiated from the systolic murmurs of aortic stenosis (AS), TR and ventricular septal defect (VSD). The intensity of the aortic stenosis murmur increases after a premature beat or in the beat after a long cycle length in AF.

How can you tell the difference between aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation?

Stenosis of the aortic or pulmonic valves will result in a systolic murmur as blood is ejected through the narrowed orifice. Conversely, regurgitation of the same valves will result in a diastolic murmur as blood flows backward through the diseased valve when ventricular pressures drop during relaxation.

Can you have mitral valve regurgitation without prolapse?

This may prevent the mitral valve from closing tightly and lead to regurgitation. However, mitral valve prolapse is common and most people who have it never develop severe regurgitation.

Can mitral regurgitation go away?

Mitral regurgitation may begin suddenly. This often occurs after a heart attack. When the regurgitation does not go away, it becomes long-term (chronic). Many other diseases or problems can weaken or damage the valve or the heart tissue around the valve.

Can trivial mitral regurgitation worse?

It doesn’t just flow forward into the ventricle the way it should. Because of this, the heart has to work harder than it should to get blood out to the body. If the regurgitation gets worse, some blood may start to back up into the lungs. A very small amount of mitral regurgitation is common.

Is trivial regurgitation common?

Nearly all of the normal population will have a finding of some trivial or mild degree of regurgitation of one, two or three heart valves on a normal echocardiogram. This is sometimes called “physiologic” regurgitation by the doctor interpreting the echocardiogram.

What does mild regurgitation of the mitral valve mean?

Mitral valve regurgitation — also called mitral regurgitation, mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence — is a condition in which your heart’s mitral valve doesn’t close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward in your heart.

What abnormal heart sound do you hear with mitral stenosis?

Auscultation. Auscultatory findings in mitral stenosis include a loud S1 caused by the leaflets of a stenotic mitral valve closing abruptly (M1); it is heard best at the apex. S1 may be absent when the valve is heavily calcified and immobile.

Can echocardiography be used to diagnose mitral regurgitation?

With echocardiography it is easy to detect mitral regurgitation. In contrast, quantification of mitral regurgitation is much more difficult. It calls for considerable experience. No single method or feature can be used to fully describe the severity of mitral regurgitation.

What are the risk factors for mitral valve regurgitation?

A history of mitral valve prolapse or mitral valve stenosis. However, having either condition doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop mitral valve regurgitation. A family history of valve disease also can increase risk. A heart attack. A heart attack can damage your heart, affecting the function of the mitral valve. Heart disease.

What is the difference between moderate and torrential mitral regurgitation?

In moderate mitral regurgitationaround 30\% of the blood in the heart is leaking backwards. In severe mitral regurgitationabout 50\% of blood in the heart is leaking backward. In torrential mitral regurgitationthe majority of the blood is going backwards, this happens in conditions such as flail leaflet.

What happens if the mitral valve does not close properly?

A healthy mitral valve keeps your blood moving in the right direction. A leaky valve doesn’t close the way it should, allowing some blood to flow backward into the left atrium. If left untreated, a leaky valve could lead to heart failure.