Mitral valve prolapse in craniofacial skeletal deformities.

Mitral valve prolapse is a manifestation of a diffuse connective tissue disorder resulting from mesenchymal dysplasia, and it may have an increased association with orthognathic craniofacial deformities. Since craniofacial deformities also result from mesenchymal dysplasias, there may be a causal relationship between them and mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve prolapse is reviewed briefly in relation to the embryologic development of the facial skeleton. A slightly increased incidence of mitral valve prolapse has been noted but not statistically studied by the authors in their orthognathic patient population. It is hypothesized that patients with mitral valve prolapse have a typical facies that can be cephalometrically measured and identified.