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A study was made of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in 1197 Kirghiz mountain-dwellers aged 16 to 22 living constantly at different altitudes of the Tien Shan and the Pamirs. MVP was detected in 24 persons (10.9%) living at an altitude of 3600-4200 m above sea level using the method of echocardiography. At middle altitudes (2020 m) it was detected in 23 persons (3.1%) and at foothills (760 m) in 4 persons (1.7%). It was shown that MVP in inhabitants at high altitudes was accompanied by more pronounced subjective symptomatology, frequently with various rhythm disorders, hypertrophy of the right ventricle and interventricular septum. It was found appropriate that mountain-dwellers with MVP should be attributed to a risk group with adequate prophylactic medical examination.

We determined the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in presumably healthy young men by studying 107 male house officers and medical students with cardiac auscultation in the supine, sitting and standing positions. Echocardiograms were performed at rest in the supine position before and after amyl nitrite inhalation and were obtainable in 101 subjects. Eleven of the 101 subjects had abnormal findings on auscultation: four had an isolated click and seven had a click and late systolic murmur. Correlation of the independent auscultatory and echocardiographic data in the 101 subjects showed that all seven of the subjects with a click and a murmur had echocardiographic evidence of prolapse. None of the 90 subjects with normal auscultation or the four with an isolated click had an abnormal echocardiogram. All seven subjects with MVP had thoracic skeletal abnormalities, but only one was symptomatic. These data suggest that the prevalence of MVP in healthy young males is similar to the reported 6-10% prevalence in healthy young females.

The discrepancies reported in various studies with respect to long-term prognosis in mitral valve prolapse can be attributed to the criteria employed for diagnosis and to the differing patient populations studied. Furthermore, mitral valve prolapse is not a single, well-defined disease but reflects rather a broad spectrum of a disease process. Echocardiographically, patients can be identified with redundant, thickened leaflets with excessive mitral valve motion and prolapse as well as those with normal appearing leaflets but systolic prolapse representative of differing disease processes with differing prognosis. The incidence of sudden cardiac death is estimated at a low value of 1.9/10,000 patients per year. In the presence of a normal resting ECG, with no hemodynamically-meaningful mitral regurgitation and no evidence of redundant mitral leaflets the risk is even less. Cerebral embolic events occur with an estimated incidence of 1/6000 patients per year, similarly low; it can be assumed that patients with very myxomatous, redundant mitral leaflets have the highest risk. The incidence of infective endocarditis is also low, estimated at 1/5725 patients per year (0.175%). Risk factors for complications include: a systolic murmur, advanced age, male sex and leaflet redundancy. The most important complication is mitral regurgitation for which the incidence is highest in older men and in the presence of left ventricular, dilatation.

The incidence and etiological classification of valvular diseases were examined on 358 cases from 3,000 consecutive autopsies of more than 60 years of age. The incidence of valvular disease was 11.9% (358 out of 3,000 cases). Mitral stenosis was found in 23 cases (6.4%), of which 21 cases were rheumatic and the remaining 2 were mitral ring calcification (MRC). Mitral regurgitation was observed in 126 cases (35.3%): 69 of papillary muscle dysfunction, 26 of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), 16 of MRC, 9 of ruptured chordae tendineae, 3 of rheumatic and 3 of congenital. Aortic stenosis was noted in 33 cases (9.2%): 27 of calcified, 5 of rheumatic and one of congenital. Aortic regurgitation was found in 169 cases (47.2%): 112 of degenerative, 47 of syphilitic, 7 of rheumatic and 2 of aortitis syndrome. There were 6 cases (1.7%) of tricuspid regurgitation. Etiological classification revealed 6 cases (1.7%) of congenital, 36 (10%) of rheumatic, 49 (13.7%) of syphilitic, 27 (7.5%) of MVP, 69 (19.3%) of ischemic and 166 (46.4%) of degenerative valvular disease. The results emphasize the high incidence of non-inflammatory valvular diseases including those of degenerative etiology in the cases studied.

The aetiological spectrum of angiographically verified pure isolated mitral regurgitation (MR) was studied in 48 consecutive adult patients (35 males). Severe MR was found in 35 patients (73%) and moderate MR in 13 patients (27%). Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) syndrome was found in 21 patients (44%). These were younger than the rest of the study population (55 +/- 13 vs. 62 +/- 6 years, p less than 0.05) and 15 (71%) of them were men. Endocarditis and chordal rupture occurred in 19% and 43% of the MVP patients. Sixteen patients (33%) had MR secondary to myocardial infarction while only three patients (6%) had MR of rheumatic aetiology. Bacterial endocarditis, hypertensive heart disease, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and mitral annulus calcification were less frequently found. Mitral valve replacement was done in 20 (57%) of the patients with severe MR and MVP was the underlying disease in 15 (75%) of these patients. In conclusion, MVP is a frequent cause of pure isolated MR and of mitral valve replacement. In contrast to the preponderance of young females amongst MVP patients in population surveys, most of the MVP patients with MR in this study are middle-aged and elderly men.

Echocardiographic observations in 200 subjects with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) are presented. The diagnostic criteria used were: (1) abrupt late systolic posterior motion of one or both leaflets of the mitral valve, and (2) holoor pansystolic posterior motion of 3 mm of one or both leaflets of the mitral valve. Most of the subjects were young--72% were aged less than 30 years. Prolapse of posterior leaflets was noted in 98% of subjects--69.5% late systolic, 28.5% pansystolic, and 2% had prolapse of the anterior mitral leaflet only. Mitral valve prolapse was considered to be primary--being the only abnormality in 78.5% of the subjects. In the remaining 21.5% MVP was associated with other cardiac lesions, the commonest being, atrial septal defect (2.5%), dilated aortic root (2%), bicuspid aortic valve (2%), cardiomyopathy (5%), rheumatic heart disease (4%) and ischaemic heart disease (1.5%). Mitral valve prolapse was considered to be important enough to result in haemodynamically significant mitral regurgitation in only 8% of subjects. Mitral valve prolapse was the commonest single echocardiographic abnormality (16%) observed in patients referred to this university hospital, which is the referral centre for approximately half of Libya. Although this does not indicate the prevalence of MVP in the general population, this study indicates MVP to be the commonest valvular abnormality seen in hospital practice in Libya.

Intravascular volume changes are reported to affect the clinical and echocardiographic spectrum of patients with known mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVPS). We tested whether acute blood loss can produce MVP in normal adults. Twenty-one subjects were studied with Doppler echocardiography before and after donating 550 ml whole blood. Two subjects demonstrated minimal (1+) prolapse postphlebotomy, but in only one echocardiographic view, and without mitral regurgitation by Doppler. Three subjects demonstrated slight, early (not late or pansystolic) mitral regurgitation after phlebotomy, but without prolapse. Left atrial dimensions decreased significantly after the blood donation but the left ventricular size was not significantly smaller. The 1+ MVP is within the range of superior systolic motion found in 35% of a normal population, free of heart disease, and without intervention. We find no evidence in our study or in the literature that pathologic degrees of MVP can be produced in normal subjects by physiologic alteration in blood volume.

Using the techniques of decision analysis, several possible mitral valve prolapse screening strategies for U.S. Air Force aircrew candidates are evaluated. Available clinical and epidemiological data are organized so that the relative merits of various strategies can be assessed by decision makers. The most efficient strategy is to screen pilot candidates with Quetelet's index (weight in kilograms/height in meters squared) and then eliminate those with an index at or below 15 who have an echocardiogram positive for mitral valve prolapse. The next most efficient strategy is to do echocardiograms on candidates with a heart murmur or click. Screening all candidates with an echocardiogram is much less efficient. Screening fighter pilot candidates only is a very inefficient strategy. Available data do not make a very convincing case for any screening program. Concerned and informed physicians will continue to have honest disagreements about screening for mitral valve prolapse in aircrew members.

Clinical and echocardiographic examinations were performed on 100 clinically stable, newborn baby girls. Mitral valve prolapse was noted on the echocardiograms of seven babies. Three subjects had systolic clicks, two of whom had systolic murmurs following the click. The four other babies who had echocardiographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse had no abnormal auscultatory signs. Of the 93 babies without evidence of mitral prolapse, 91 had normal echocardiograms and auscultatory features; one was noted to have a murmur consistent with a ventricular septal defect, and another had an eccentric aortic valve on the echocardiogram which was suggestive of a bicuspid aortic valve. Serial studies on our group of subjects will yield useful information regarding the natural history of mitral valve prolapse.

A short history of mitral valve prolapse was reviewed to learn what was the knowledge we have and to recognize what should be resolved at the present time and in the near future. Particular emphasis was placed on the detailed studies performed in Japan as compared to those of occidental countries. Prevalence of mitral valve prolapse largely depends on the methods of investigation and is definitely related to the diagnostic criteria. Among those, the echocardiographic criteria are particularly important, but there are pitfalls which cause over- or underdiagnosis. Auscultatory criteria, which should be confirmed by phonocardiography, are not sensitive enough because of the presence of "silent" prolapse, though the auscultatory acumen of the averaged doctors is quite often unexpected. DaCosta syndrome and the related conditions have some connections with mitral valve prolapse syndrome. The relation should extensively be studied, because somatic and mental signs are not conclusively related to the anatomical abnormalities and the cases with borderline prolapse tend to have definite signs and symptoms. Natural course of mitral valve prolapse based on the long follow-up study is far from the conclusion. So far, no comprehensive cases with well-known natural history of this entity. Prognosis should be carefully evaluated, because most of the patients are doing well and several ominous prognostic signs, such as sudden deaths, are thought to be overemphasized.

Two-hundred-and-thirty-two Saudi young women were prospectively clinically examined for the presence of mitral valve prolapse. Phonocardiograms recorded in all subjects at rest in supine position revealed 10.7% incidence of systolic clicks and/or mid to late systolic murmurs. Echocardiographic studies were performed in supine, left lateral as well as sitting up positions. Twenty-eight subjects were found to have mitral valve prolapse. Of these, 21 subjects had mid to late systolic prolapse when the other seven subjects were found to have pansystolic prolapse (holosystolic). Eight of the 28 positive subjects had auscultatory evidence of mitral valve prolapse. It seems that mitral valve prolapse is more common than expected in healthy Saudi women population.

Mitral valve prolapse is a common finding in the pediatric population. Five percent (154/3100) of pediatric patients had clinical evidence of mitral valve prolapse. A positive family history and minor abnormalities on electrocardiograms were frequent. The vast majority of patients were asymptomatic and exhibited a benign clinical course.

Incidence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in 4517 students of Kobe University, and clinical features in cases with MVP were studied. MVP was detected in 42 cases by two-dimensional echocardiography, and the prevalence of MVP was 0.93 percent (42 of 4517 cases). Among 42 cases with MVP, apparent mitral regurgitation (MR) was noted in one case with severe MVP, ventricular tachycardia was detected in one and ST-T wave abnormalities were detected in 10 respectively. In another follow up study of our hospital, 14 of 85 patients followed more than one year were noted to be deterioration in echocardiographic parameters. Eight of 14 patients had severe prolapse with severe MR, but remaining 6 had mild or moderate prolapse with mild or absent of MR. However, ST-T wave abnormalities, serious arrhythmias, and low response of %FS increase on exercise were found in high incidence in 6 of mild or moderate prolapse as well as in severe prolapse. So these follow up results suggested that not only students with severe MVP but also students with mild or moderate MVP with ST-T wave changes or VPC found in university medical examination must be followed up carefully.

In order to establish the relative prevalence of mitral valve prolapse as diagnosed by two dimensional echocardiography, we studied 100 presumably healthy young women with two dimensional echocardiography and M-mode echocardiography, history, physical examination, electrocardiography, and phonocardiography. Two dimensional echocardiograms were obtained from parasternal, apical, and subcostal acoustic windows. Mitral valve prolapse was defined as extension of leaflet tissue cephalad to the plane of the mitral annulus into the left atrium; note was also made of any valvular thickening, redundancy, or excessive annular motion. One subject had a midsystolic click and late systolic murmur with evidence of mitral prolapse on both M-mode and two dimensional echocardiography. One subject had a midsystolic click with mitral prolapse demonstrated by two dimensional but not on M-mode echocardiography. One subject had a thick mitral valve on echocardiography but no click or murmur. Four subjects had midsystolic clicks without echocardiographic abnormalities. Mild artefactual pansystolic posterior bowing of the mitral valve on the M-mode echocardiogram could be produced in 20 subjects by incorrect transducer position. We conclude that the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse by two dimensional echocardiography is relatively low in presumably healthy young women. Use of two dimensional echocardiography may avoid overdiagnosis of mitral prolapse and identify a smaller group of individuals with true anatomical abnormalities of the mitral valve.

We have evaluated 46 patients with Turner syndrome by clinical examination, M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography, dynamic exercise testing and 24 h Holter monitoring. Twelve patients (26.1%) had mitral valve prolapse and 7 patients (15.2%) had isolated non stenotic bicuspid aortic valve. Aortic root dilation was present in 2 patients (4.3%). Our data indicate that incidence of mitral valve prolapse is significantly higher in Turner syndrome than in the general population (P less than 0.025).

This cross-sectional study on mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in Korean adults revealed a relatively low overall prevalence at 2.5% (5 of the 200 subjects). Three of 5 subjects with MVP were females and the majority (4 of 5 subjects) were under 30 years of age. All subjects with MVP had thoracic skeletal deformities (4 straight back syndrome and 1 pectus excavatum). All subjects with MVP did not have cardiac history and they were all asymptomatic except for one who had intermittent palpitation of mild degree.

The association of joint laxity and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has been disputed. In this study of an Arab population, the joint mobility scores of 29 subjects with MVP, 10 of whom were asymptomatic, were compared to 60 normal controls. It was found that the joint mobility score was significantly higher in both the asymptomatic and the symptomatic subjects with MVP when compared to the controls. This suggests that both mitral valve prolapse and joint laxity may be due to the same abnormality of connective tissue structure.

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.

Primary mitral leaflet billowing, or so-called mitral valve prolapse, has become the most common valve anomaly in the United States and is also frequently found throughout the world. Its prevalence varies from less than 1% to 38%, differing not only between countries but also within the same country. The prevalence depends on whether the study is clinical or echocardiographic, based on autopsy or surgical material, or of hospital or non-care-seeking population. Other explanations for the varying prevalence are the age, sex and weight differences of the study population, imprecise terminology, the care with which auscultation and/or echocardiography are carried out and interpreted, and some selection biases. Although prevalent throughout the world, the condition is generally benign and can often be regarded as a normal variant. Among the complications of mitral valve prolapse, progressive mitral regurgitation and infective endocarditis are particularly noteworthy. Primary mitral valve prolapse is currently a leading cause of mitral regurgitation and also of infective endocarditis.

The Authors have developed an epidemiologic screening among 299 subjects girl's secondary school (average 16.5 years) to verify the incidence of idiopathic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and associated thoracic-skeletal abnormalities in young female people. The MVP was assessed in 10 subjects (3.3%), scoliosis in 41 subjects (13.7%). The MVP incidence among scoliotic subjects was 19.5% (8 among 41). To verify a possible common systemic connective tissue disorder between scoliosis and MVP, three groups of subjects (control, scoliosis, MVP), were visited by orthopedist, considering the incidence of following clinic parameters: recurvated knee, flat or valgus foot, pectus excavatum, lofty scapulas, joint and skin laxity. A significative increasing incidence of these parameters was found from the control group to the MVP group. Considering these parameters as index of a probable systemic connective tissue disorder, the hypothesis of a mesenchimal etiopathogenesis of MVP is confirmed.

Mitral valve clicks with or without late systolic murmurs were detected in genetically unrelated marital partners of 5 families. The first family represented 2 successive nonconsanguineous marital unions with 3 generations of mitral valve clicks. The second family included 1 natural and 2 adopted children with clinical and echographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse. The third family was comprised of asymptomatic parents, both with nonejection clicks and mitral valve prolapse, whose daughter presented 3 years previously with syncope, palpitations, and combined mitral and tricuspid valve prolapse. The fourth family had 3 members with auscultatory and ultrasonic manifestations of billowing mitral valve, whereas the fourth member had "silent mitral valve prolapse." The fifth family represented a mother with auscultatory and echographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse; her 14-year-old daughter had both mitral and tricuspid valve prolapse, whereas the son had a bicuspid aortic valve. Both children were products of a prior marriage, and her husband has symptomatic mitral valve prolapse. We conclude that matrimonial mitral valve prolapse probably reflects the purported (6--10%) prevalence of this disorder in the general population. The consequences of such marital union on progeny is currently unclear and warrants future investigation.