Mitral valve prolapse: an overview.

Since its original description by Barlow over a quarter of a century ago, mitral valve prolapse has become one of the commonest heart diseases around the world. It is commoner in women than men, in thinner than heavier subjects, and in younger than older persons. A unifying concept of a valvular-ventricular disproportion serves to explain the various conditions in which mitral valve prolapse occurs. The etiology of chest pain which is the most frequent symptom that brings the patient with mitral valve prolapse to a physician is multifactorial. Diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse is based on clinical grounds chiefly by careful auscultation. Echocardiography, angiocardiography, and radionuclide ventriculography are valuable adjuncts. Prognosis in the majority is excellent except when complications occur, such as progressive mitral regurgitation, infective endocarditis, cerebral ischemic episodes, and sudden death. For mitral valve surgery repair is preferred to replacement.