Mitral regurgitation

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Mitral regurgitation - acute

Definition

Acute mitral regurgitation is a disorder in which the heart's mitral valve suddenly does not close properly, causing blood to leak (back-flow) into the left atrium (upper heart chamber) when the left ventricle (lower heart chamber) contracts.

Alternative Names

Mitral insufficiency; Acute mitral regurgitation

Causes

Regurgitation (leaking from insufficient valve closure) is caused by diseases that weaken or damage the valve or its supporting structures. Inadequate closure of the mitral valve causes blood to flow back to the left atrium. The blood flow to the rest of the body is decreased as a result and the heart may pump harder to try to compensate.

Acute mitral regurgitation may be the result of dysfunction or injury to the valve following a heart attack or infective endocarditis (infection of the heart valve). These conditions may rupture the valve, the papillary muscle or chordae tendineae (the structures that anchor the valve cusps). A rupture of these structures results in the valve leaflet prolapsing or flailing (protruding) into the atrium, leaving an opening for the backflow of blood.

Risk factors include a recent individual history of the disorders mentioned above.

See also: Chronic mitral regurgitation.


Heart, section through the middle

Review Date: 5/30/2006
Reviewed By: Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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