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Mitral Valve Abnormalities
What is it?
The mitral valve is like a door in the heart that allows blood to pass between its chambers. Mitral valve abnormalities are birth defects or happen after rheumatic heart disease.
The mitral valve controls blood flow between the heart's left atrium (where blood comes in from the lungs) and left ventricle.
The mitral valve has two flaps or cusps. Abnormalities to the valve can include mitral valve stenosis, mitral valve regurgitation and mitral valve prolapse.
Mitral valve stenosis is when the valve becomes narrow or tight. This makes it hard for the blood to get through to the left ventricle.
Mitral valve regurgitation is when the mitral valve does not close well and blood leaks back into the left atrium.
Mitral valve prolapse is when one or both valve flaps are enlarged. As a result, when the heart pumps, the mitral valve flaps don't close smoothly.
Instead, the mitral valve flaps collapse backward into the left atrium sometimes letting a small amount of blood leak backward through the valve.
This may cause a heart murmur.
How is it treated?
If mitral valve stenosis is not treated, the blood pressure in the lungs may increase. This is called pulmonary hypertension. Treatment is needed to prevent permanent damage to the heart and lungs. Treatment in children is usually surgery with possible replacement of the valve.
Treatment also may be done in the catheterization lab using a balloon procedure. A balloon is inserted in the valve. When the balloon is inflated, the valve is stretched open. Then the balloon is removed.
Mitral valve regurgitation causes the left atrium to get bigger. Depending on how severe the problem is, mitral valve regurgitation can be treated with medicine. This condition may lead to arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeat). Medicines may include drugs that help control these abnormal heartbeats.
Surgery for possible valve replacement may be needed to correct the problem if the mitral valve regurgitation does not respond to drug treatment.
Most children with mitral valve prolapse don't need treatment. The valve must be kept from getting infected. Therefore, children who have leaky valves will need to take antibiotics before certain surgical or dental procedures that may cause bleeding.
Other medicine might be needed if a child has chest pain or an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia).