Mitral valvular heart disease in the adults.

Valvular Heart Disease (VHD) is an important cardiovascular problem in the adult population. The knowledge of the physiology involved, prompt recognition and diagnosis are of paramount importance for the primary care physician who is in the front line of patient care. This article is the first of a series of two that will discuss valvular problems in the adults in concise and practical form. Each topic will be presented using the following format: description, etiology, pathophysiology, natural history, essential of diagnosis and management. In this first article we will discuss mitral valve disorders including mitral valve prolapse (MVP).