Some observations on mitral and aortic valve disease.

The article discusses several observations on the occurrence of mitral and aortic valve diseases. In the 1950s and 1960s, most physicians attributed these diseases in adults to rheumatic heart disease. In 1970s, a congenitally malformed aortic valve was found to be frequent in adults with aortic stenosis (AS), and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) was recognized as a common cause of pure mitral regurgitation (MR). Their frequencies and causes in necropsy studies are highlighted.