Mitral valve prolapse in one hundred presumably healthy young females.

Abstract

Clinical, electrocardiographic, phonocardiographic, and echocardiographic examinations were performed in 100 presumably healthy young females. Treadmill testing and ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring were performed in a selected group of these subjects. Phonocardiograms, recorded with the subjects supine at rest, after inhalation of amyl nitrite, and in the upright position, revealed a 17% incidence of nonejection clicks and/or late or mid- to late systolic murmurs (PHONO-MSCLSM). Echocardiographic studies were performed in the second, third, fourth, and fifth intercostal space with emphasis on the importance of transducer angulation on the chest. Studies obtained with the transducer perpendicular to the chest in the sagittal plane, or pointing cephalad at a time when both mitral leaflets and left atrium are recorded, are optimal to study the mitral valve systolic motion. With the transducer in this position, 21 subjects were found to have pansystolic or late systolic prolapse, as previously defined on the echocardiogram. The presence of these echocardiographic findings was statistically related to the presence of PHONO-MSCLSM. Other echocardiographic patterns were identified and their relation to PHONO-MSCLSM and transducer position is discussed. Ten subjects with both echocardiographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse and PHONO-MSCLSM were identified (group EP), while 18 other subjects had either echocardiographic or phonocardiographic findings suggestive of mitral valve abnormality (group EorP). Seventy-two subjects had no abnormality (group noEP). The incidence of various clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic findings in these three groups was determined. Some findings said to be common in patients with proven mitral valve prolapse were seen more frequently in group EP subjects. Echocardiographic and phonocardiographic findings suggesting mitral valve abnormalities were found more commonly than expected in a population of presumably healthy young females.

Prevalence of mitral valve prolapse in presumably healthy young men.

“…The prevalence figures reported include 1.4% of black South African school children,2 5% in routine autopsies of patients over 40 years of age,6' 7 and 6-10% of presumably normal young women studied by echocardiography. [8][9][10] In this study we assessed the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse in a group of young healthy adult males.…”

Mitral valve prolapse and borderline hypertension.

“…1 ' 2 The prolapse may be idiopathic 3 or associated with a wide variety of underlying conditions. 312 Some authors have observed abnormal patterns of left ventricular contraction and suggested the involvement of a myocardial component in this syndrome.…”

Prevalence of mitral valve prolapse in presumably healthy korean adults

“…In fact, mitral valve prolapse has been suggested to be a form of developmental connective tissue disorder (Salomon et al, 1975;Udoshi et al, 1979). This crosssectional survey demonstrated a relatively low prevalence of mitral valve prolapse compared with previous observations (Darsee et al, 1978;Markiewicz et al, 1976;Sbarbaro et al, 1979). Variance in somatic features among ethnic groups may explain this difference in its prevalence.…”

“…Although significant clinical *Presented in part at the IX World Congress of Cardiology in Moscow, USSR, June 1982. manifestations may be present in this syndrome, a high incidence of asymptomatic cases have been reported (Brown et al, 1975;Darsee et al, 1978;Markiewicz et al, 1976;Sbarbaro et al, 1979).…”