Mitral Regurgitation: Advanced Imaging Parameters and Changing Treatment Landscape.

Mitral regurgitation is a common valvular heart disease with increasing prevalence due to the aging population. In degenerative (primary) mitral regurgitation, medical therapies are limited and the mainstay of treatment is mitral valve surgery. Patients are referred for mitral valve surgery based on the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines, which recommend surgery in patients with severe mitral regurgitation. Echocardiography uses multiple parameters that lack reproducibility and accuracy. Studies comparing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and echocardiography have shown that CMR is a better predictor of clinical outcome and postsurgical left ventricular remodeling than echocardiography.