[Ophthalmologic complications in mitral valve prolapse].

Usually, mitral valve prolapse is a benign condition, but there are some reports about ischemic cerebral or ocular insults. Among our patients with ischemic ophthalmic diseases we found seven with no risk factors other than mitral valve prolapse. The ages ranged from 18 to 61 years. Three patients suffered from monocular amaurosis fugax. Two patients showed a transient homonymous visual field defect. One patient had a vascular brain-stem lesion in the lower pons, causing a skew deviation. One patient showed typical anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. All but one patient (ischemic optic neuropathy) recovered completely. We recommend secondary prophylaxis with low-dose aspirin in cases where the symptoms persist longer than 24 h.