(Circulation. 1998;97:805.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Images in Cardiovascular Medicine |
Leaflet-Dependent Spectrum of Regurgitant Jet in Mitral Valve Prolapse
Azam Ansari, MD;
; Barry J. Maron, MD
From the Department of Medicine (Cardiovascular Section), Fairview
Southdale Hospital, Edina, Minn, and Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation
(Cardiovascular Research Division), Minneapolis, Minn.
Correspondence to Azam Ansari, MD, 825 S 8th St, Suite 812, Minneapolis, MN 55404.
A 79-year-old man was
being evaluated for possible mitral valve repair for increasing mitral
regurgitation. Transesophageal
echocardiography with color flow Doppler showed
left atrial enlargement, mitral valve prolapse, and spontaneous changes
in the direction and configuration of regurgitant jets (during the same
imaging study) determined by which leaflet prolapsed into the left
atrium during systole. A, Mitral valve prolapse (white arrows)
involving both leaflets. B, Centrally located mosiac jet (white
arrowheads) resulting from the bileaflet prolapse shown in A. C,
Eccentric, laterally located mosaic jet along the lateral wall of the
left atrium (white arrowheads) associated with prolapse of only the
anterior mitral leaflet. D, Eccentric, medially located mosaic jet
(white arrowheads) along the posterior wall of the aorta associated
with prolapse of the posterior mitral leaflet. LA indicates left
atrium; LV, left ventricle; and AO, aorta.
Footnotes
The editor of Images in Cardiovascular Medicine is Hugh A. McAllister, Jr, MD, Chief, Department of Pathology, St Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute, and Clinical Professor of Pathology, University of Texas Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine.
