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Mitral valve prolapse

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Barlow's syndrome; Floppy mitral valve; Myxomatous mitral valve; Billowing mitral valve; Systolic click-murmur syndrome; Prolapsing mitral leaflet syndrome

Symptoms:

• Sensation of feeling the heart beat ( palpitations )
• Chest pain (not caused by coronary artery disease or a heart attack)
• Hard to breath after activity
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Shortness of breath when lying flat ( orthopnea )

Note: There may be no symptoms or symptoms may develop slowly.

Signs and tests:

The doctor will perform a physical exam and use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs. The doctor may feel a thrill (vibration) over the heart, and hear a heart murmur ("mid-systolic click"). The murmur gets louder when you stand up.

Blood pressure is usually normal.

The following tests may be used to diagnose mitral valve prolapse pr a leaky mitral valve:

• Echocardiogram
• Color-flow Doppler examination
• Cardiac catheterization
• Chest x-ray
• ECG (may show arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation )
• Chest MRI
• CT scan of the chest

• Review Date: 7/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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