Differentiating clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of chordal rupture detected in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and floppy mitral valve: impact of the infective endocarditis on chordal rupture.

AIMS: We aimed to compare the clinical and echocardiographic correlates of chordal rupture in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and floppy mitral valve. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study group comprised of 224 patients who underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography because of the severe mitral regurgitation. Chordal rupture was detected in 58 (25.9%) out of the 224 patients, in 33 out of the 83 (39.7%) patients with floppy mitral valve, and in 25 out of the 141 (17.7%) patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease. Chordal rupture was more frequently associated with anterior leaflet (80%) in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease, and posterior leaflet (72.7%) in patients with floppy mitral valve (p<0.05). Univariate correlates of chordal rupture were age, male sex, posterior mitral leaflet thickening and chordal elongation in patients with floppy mitral valve (p<0.05), and chordal shortening (p<0.0001) and infective endocarditis involving mitral anterior leaflet (p<0.05) in rheumatic group. Independent predictors of chordal rupture were age (>50 years), posterior mitral leaflet thickness (> or =0.45cm), and male sex (p<0.05) in patients with floppy mitral valve while infective endocarditis involving mitral anterior leaflet (p<0.05) in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease. Patients with chordal rupture due to floppy mitral valve had an older age (p<0.0001), a male dominance, longer mitral leaflets and chordae, and a larger mitral annulus circumference (p<0.05) as compared to those with rheumatic chordal rupture. Despite the comparable severity of mitral regurgitation and left atrial diameters between the two groups of chordal rupture (p>0.05), functional class and pulmonary artery systolic pressure were higher, and atrial fibrillation, acute deterioration, infective endocarditis, mitral leaflet rupture and need for mitral valve surgery in the 3 months were more frequent in rheumatic chordal rupture subgroup (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Chordal rupture seems to be more frequently associated with anterior mitral leaflet in rheumatic mitral valve disease, whereas it was the posterior leaflet in floppy mitral valve. Chordal rupture was related to male sex, older age, posterior leaflet thickening, and chordal elongation in patients with floppy mitral valve. However, infective endocarditis, acute deterioration, and need for early mitral surgery were more frequent in patients with rheumatic chordal rupture.     

Mitral valve repair: an in-vitro comparison of the effect of surgical repair on the pressure required to cause mitral valve regurgitation

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aim was to compare mitral valve repair techniques in vitro. Rupture or elongation of the mitral valve chordae tendineae is a known cause of mitral regurgitation, and can be corrected by edge-to-edge repair, chordal replacement, or chordal transposition. METHODS: A test apparatus was used to apply pressure to porcine mitral valves. Mitral valve specimens were tested intact (n = 50), after they had been experimentally damaged, and after repair. Each test was repeated ten times. Experimental damage consisted of severing either the anterior leaflet strut, and attached marginal chordae (n = 30) or posterior leaflet chordae (n = 20). Valves with damaged anterior leaflets were repaired by either: (i) edge-to-edge repair; (ii) chordal replacement; or (iii) chordal transposition. Valves with damaged posterior leaflets were repaired by the first two techniques. Each repair method was repeated on ten specimens. RESULTS: Mitral valves repaired using the edge-to-edge repair (p = 0.002) and chordal replacement (p = 0.038), after rupture to anterior leaflet chordae, recovered significantly better than specimens repaired by chordal transposition. There was no statistical difference in recovery between edge-to-edge repair and chordal replacement (p > 0.05). There was no statistical difference (p > 0.05) in the recovery of the pressure withstood by valves repaired by edge-to-edge repair and chordal replacement, after rupture of posterior leaflet chordae. CONCLUSION: These results showed that edge-to-edge repair and chordal replacement are well suited for the repair of both the anterior and posterior leaflets.     

二尖瓣腱索断裂292例临床分析

目的 探讨二尖瓣腱索断裂的临床特征、发病规律及其治疗方法 .方法 对292例二尖瓣腱索断裂住院患者的临床资料及病理检查结果 进行回顾性分析.结果 前叶腱索断裂99例(33.9%),后叶腱索断裂180例(61.6%),前后叶腱索均断裂13例(4.5%).腱索部分断裂266例(91.1%),完全断裂26例(8.9%).214例(73.3%)为特发性腱索断裂,78例(26.7%)为继发性腱索断裂(P<0.05).特发性腱索断裂多为黏液样变性所致,发病年龄较大,多为男性,且以后叶居多;继发性二尖瓣腱索断裂的病因多为感染性心内膜炎、冠心病、先天性心脏病、风湿性心脏病,发病年龄较小,多为男性,且以前叶居多.结论 二尖瓣腱索断裂后叶发病率高于前叶,前后叶腱索均断裂较少见.特发性二尖瓣腱索断裂较继发性腱索断裂多见.     

Artificial chordae for mitral valve repair: mid-term clinical and echocardiographic results

BACKGROUND: This paper reports on the mid-term clinical and echocardiographic results of mitral valve repair with chordal replacement. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients (mean age 61 +/- 14 years) underwent mitral valve repair with chordal replacement. The etiology was degenerative in 53 (77 %), rheumatic in 7 (10 %), ischemic in 6 (9 %) and infective in 3 (4 %). Mean ejection fraction was 58 +/- 14. In 35 patients (51 %), a minimally invasive approach was used. Mean follow-up time was 45 +/- 27 months. RESULTS: Anterior leaflet chordae were replaced in 58 (84 %) patients. There were 3 operative deaths. Freedom from non-trivial recurrent mitral regurgitation (MR) was 81.3 +/- 8.7 % at 97 months. Follow-up echocardiographic controls showed mild recurrent MR in 5 (8 %) patients and moderate in 2 (3.2 %). These two patients required reoperation due to mitral annulus redilation after suture annuloplasty. Competent neochordae were found at reoperation. Freedom from reoperation at 97 months was 96.6 +/- 2.4 %. Four patients died during follow-up resulting in an actuarial survival of 87 +/- 6.2 %. CONCLUSION: The replacement of chordae tendineae with ePTFE sutures during mitral valve repair has shown good mid-term results. The implantation of the neochordae can be also performed safely using minimally invasive procedures.     

Chordal transfer in rheumatic mitral regurgitation: early experience

Chordal transfer and chordal replacement techniques have been quite successful for repair of anterior mitral leaflet prolapse in degenerative disease, but largely unexplored in rheumatic patients. To extend the scope of valve repair, we assessed the chordal transfer technique for correction of anterior mitral leaflet prolapse in 57 patients with rheumatic mitral regurgitation, who were treated between October 2008 and March 2010. There were 36 women and 21 men with a mean age of 25 ± 7.4 years. Normal chordae and a strip of leaflet tissue were transferred from the posterior leaflet to the free edge of the anterior leaflet; the posterior leaflet was repaired in the same manner as after quadrangular resection. Additional procedures were commissurotomy in 19 patients, aortic valve replacement in 1, tricuspid repair in 5, and cryo maze operations in 21. There was no hospital mortality. One (1.7%) patient had acute renal failure but recovered fully. There was moderate regurgitation in one patient who had undergone simultaneous aortic valve replacement. At a mean follow-up of 6.2 ± 2 months, 56/57 (98.2%) patients were asymptomatic with no significant mitral regurgitation.     

Congenital aortic valve disease with rupture of mitral chordae tendineae.

A new clinical entity is described in which free aortic regurgitation from congenital aortic valve disease caused rupture of the chordae to the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve in 7 men aged 45 to 63 years (mean 52 years); 2 of the patients also had rupture of chordae to the posterior leaflet. Comparing these patients with those with ruptured mitral chordae in association with rheumatic heart disease and patients with spontaneous chordal rupture, differences were evident. No patient had a history of rheumatic fever and none had active infection. The typical clinical presentation was of acute mitral regurgitation into a small left atrium, with severe pulmonary oedema which was often resistant to medical treatment. The cause of chordal rupture in these patients was in part the result of progressive left ventricular dilatation, of direct trauma to the anterior cusp of the mitral valve, and possibly of a genetic factor. The anatomical features of both aortic and mitral valves are described, and in 3 histology of the mitral valve was available; 2 had myxomatous degeneration similar to that seen in patients with spontaneous chordal rupture, and in 1 there was degeneration of collagen tissue. All patients were treated surgically but the mortality was high (5 out of 7,70%). Early operation with replacement of the aortic and mitral valves is recommended if this high mortality is to be reduced.     

ePTFE人工腱索二尖瓣成形术

本文介绍了用ePTFE缝线作人工腱索行二尖瓣成形术 14例的体会。 14例中用ePTFE缝线作人工腱索 17根 ,二尖瓣成形主要有四种方法 :瓣叶部分切除、切缘缝合 ,然后再在瓣缘和乳头肌间建立人工腱索。二尖瓣裂隙伴卷曲瓣叶的人工腱索重建。大瓣部分切除、自体心包片修补瓣叶后 ,人工腱索重建。瓣叶矩形切除、瓣环Kay成形术。结果 ,因持续性Hb尿再次手术行二尖瓣置换和晚期死亡各 1例 ,其余患者术后恢复满意。作者认为只要正确选择病例 ,用ePTFE缝线作人工腱索行二尖瓣成形术是安全有效的     

Replacement of chordae tendineae with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sutures in mitral valve repair: early and long-term results

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: A variety of reliable techniques are now available for chordal disease management and repair of the anterior mitral valve leaflet prolapse. The study aim was to review the authors' experience with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), using a standardized technique for length adjustment, and to analyze the long-term results in patients who underwent mitral valve repair. METHODS: A total of 111 patients (mean age 56.2 +/- 16.1 years) underwent mitral valve repair with PTFE neochordae, in addition to a variety of other surgical procedures. Etiologies were degenerative in 82 patients (73.9%), Barlow disease in 13 (11.7%), rheumatic in 10 (9%), and infection in six (5.4%). Prolapse of the anterior leaflet was present in 78 patients (70.3%), of the posterior leaflet in 15 (13.5%), a bileaflet prolapse was present in 12 (10.8%), and a commissural prolapse in six (5.4%). In all cases the anterior annulus was used as the reference level in order to assess the appropriate length of the PTFE neochordae. RESULTS: The mean number of PTFE neochordae used was 6 +/- 4 per patient. In-hospital mortality was 1.8% (n = 2); mean follow up was 36.8 +/- 25.6 months (range: 12-94 months). There were no late deaths. At five years postoperatively the patient overall survival was 98.2 +/- 1.8%, freedom from reoperation rate 100%, and freedom from grade 1+ mitral regurgitation rate 97.2 +/- 2.8%. There were no documented thromboembolism or hemorrhagic events. CONCLUSION: In degenerative and myxomatous mitral valve disease, leaflet prolapse can be successfully repaired by implantation of PTFE neochordae. Both immediate and long-term results proved the versatility, efficiency and durability of this technique.     

Analysis of recurrent mitral regurgitation after mitral valve repair

Mitral valve repair was performed in 437 patients with mitral regurgitation from January 1994 to January 2002. The causes of mitral regurgitation were degenerative in 238 (54%), rheumatic in 134 (31%), and others in 65 (15%). The most frequently employed surgical techniques were ring annuloplasty in 417 (95%) cases, new chordae formation in 216 (50%), and quadrangular resection in 117 (27%). The mean follow-up was 29.04 +/- 22.81 months. There were 5 (1.2%) early and 5 (1.2%) late deaths. The reoperation rate was 1.6% with 41 (9%) cases of recurrent mitral regurgitation. Of these 22 were procedure-related: incomplete repair in 13, discordant new chordal length in 7, suture dehiscence and leaflet perforation in 1 case each. There were 19 cases of valve related failures: progression of rheumatic disease in 18 and subacute infective endocarditis in 1. Valve-related failure strongly correlated with progression of rheumatic disease. As initial operative success was the prime determinant of repair durability, intraoperative repair assessment with transesophageal echocardiography was essential.     

Mitral valve repair for degenerative disease

Degenerative mitral valve disease is the most common cause of mitral regurgitation in North America. Using techniques developed by Carpentier and others, up to 90% of degenerative mitral valves can be repaired. These valves are characterized by annular dilatation and chordal rupture or elongation; chordal changes are mainly localized to the posterior leaflet. The most common repair technique for posterior leaflet prolapse is quadrangular resection. When the leaflet is >1.5 cm long, a sliding repair is added to reduce the risk of systolic anterior motion. Anterior leaflet prolapse is usually treated by transfer of chords from the posterior leaflet or adjacent areas of the anterior leaflet. Other useful techniques for correction of anterior leaflet prolapse are creation of artificial chords and the Alfieri edge-to-edge repair. Chordal shortening is rarely employed as it jeopardizes repair durability. Annuloplasty accompanies all repairs. A posterior annuloplasty provides results equivalent to those obtained with a circumferential annuloplasty. Flexible annuloplasty has theoretical advantages, but clinical benefits have not been shown. After mitral valve repair for degenerative disease, 10-year freedom from reoperation is 93%. Risk of reoperation is increased by anterior leaflet prolapse, chordal shortening, failure to use an annuloplasty, and lack of intraoperative echocardiography. In the ideal situation, when posterior leaflet resection is corrected by quadrangular resection with annuloplasty and the result is confirmed by intraoperative echocardiography, the 10-year durability is 98%.     

Surgical treatment for mitral regurgitation: mid-term outcome following mitral valve repair

Mid-term results of mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation were evaluated in 173 consecutive patients (mean age 53 years, 107 males, 66 females) treated from July 1991 to March 1998. Pathological causes of the mitral valve disease were degenerative in 118 patients, infective endocarditis in 25, rheumatic in 13, and ischemic in 8 (ischemic cardiomyopathy in 7). The principal technique was chordal replacement with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures for prolapse of the anterior leaflet, and Carpentier's sliding leaflet technique for prolapse of the posterior leaflet. Most patients received ring annuloplasty with a rigid ring and flexible band (physiological remodeling annuloplasty). Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was used after 1993. There were 7 operative deaths (4%) and 7 mitral valve replacements (4%) during the same operation. Successful repair was achieved in 96% of patients with mitral regurgitation. Mean follow-up was 35 months (range 2 to 78 months). Survival at 6 years was 85 +/- 10% of all patients, 98 +/- 2% in degenerative cases. Six patients required reoperation (1.2%/patient-year) and mean time interval between initial operation and reoperation was 33.1 months. Four patients with atrial fibrillation had thromboembolic events (0.8%/patient-year). There were no anticoagulant-related complications. Freedom from reoperation and all valve-related event at 6 years was 88 +/- 6% and 84 +/- 6%. Late postoperative Doppler echocardiography revealed satisfactory results in 93% of the patients. Mitral valve repair using chordal replacement, sliding plasty and ring annuloplasty provides excellent mid-term results.     

Repair of rheumatic mitral lesions by transfer of a segment of the posterior valve with its chordae onto the anterior valve

Since 1981, 100 patients have undergone mitral valve repair alone or in association with aortic or tricuspid valve surgery. The basic technique used was that described by Carpentier. However, in 13 of these patients, the repair was performed by a technical innovation consisting in transferring a one to two centimetres segment of the posterior leaflet with its chordae to the anterior leaflet. The lesions in which this particular technique was required were extensive chordal rupture of the anterior leaflet (5 cases), localised retraction of the surface of the anterior leaflet (2 cases), and perforation near the valve free edge due to endocarditis (1 case). The valvular disease was due to rheumatic fever in all cases. None of the patients had active endocarditis. The age of the patients varied from 4 to 60 years. Eight patients were under 15 years of age. Postoperative echocardiography and pulsed Doppler studies showed results comparable to the other patients who had undergone mitral valve repair although the valvular lesions were more severe in this particular group of patients. Only one patient had a poor operative result and had to be reoperated.     

An Effective Technique to Correct Anterior Mitral Leaflet Prolapse

A bstract Up to one-third of the patients with degenerative mitral valve disease and severe mitral regurgitation have anterior mitral valve prolapse due to chordal rupture or elongation. Surgical treatment of such a condition is often technically demanding and not infrequently associated with suboptimal results. Techniques used to treat anterior leaflet prolapse include chordal transfer, chordal shortening, artificial chordae, and anterior leaflet resection or plication. Each of these strategies has potential shortcomings, and there is considerable controversy concerning the durability of anterior leaflet prolapse repairs using these techniques. The "edge-to-edge" technique, a simple and effective method of correcting anterior mitral leaflet prolapse is described.     

Conservative surgery for mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation: clinical follow-up and noninvasive assessment

To evaluate the result of mitral valve repair in pure regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse with or without chordal rupture, 11 patients were followed noninvasively for 2.0 to 3.5 years and clinically for at least 5 years in a prospective study. The patients were operated upon before ominous signs of left ventricular dysfunction appeared, all patients being in functional class III, with an ejection fraction of at least 0.50 and mean velocity of circumferential fibre shortening above 1.0. There was no operative mortality. No thrombo-embolic episodes occurred during follow-up. Ten of the 11 patients were alive 5 years postoperatively. One patient died 9 months after the initial repair shortly after reoperation for mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. The other patients all showed definite clinical improvement. Confirming the experience of others, the two patients with ruptured chordae to the anterior mitral leaflet and the only patient with a thick anterior mitral leaflet all had moderate mitral regurgitation postoperatively. Complete repair of mitral valve prolapse is feasible and gives a good functional result of long duration. The results of this study support early mitral repair when complete restoration of ventricular size and function is still possible.     

Transesophageal echocardiography as predictor of mitral valve repair

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Mitral valve repair has recently emerged as the treatment of choice in patients presenting with insufficiency due to valve prolapse. The study aims were to evaluate: (i) the clinical presentation in a consecutive series of patients with mitral valve prolapse undergoing surgical repair; (ii) the correlation between pre- and intraoperative echocardiographic features and surgical findings in these patients; and (iii) whether clinical and echocardiographic data may predict surgical outcome. METHODS: Between March 1997 and May 2000, 152 patients (110 men, 42 women; mean age 59+/-13 years) were recruited into the study. All patients had myxomatous mitral valve disease causing severe regurgitation and underwent systematic examination by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for clear delineation of the three scallops of the posterior leaflet and juxtaposed segments of the anterior leaflet. RESULTS: In 119 patients (78%) a flail valve was documented by TEE and confirmed on surgical inspection; an anterior leaflet chordal rupture was not visualized by TEE in one case. In 15 cases (10%) there was flail of the anterior leaflet, and in 105 cases (69%) flail of the posterior leaflet. A bileaflet complex prolapse without chordal rupture was found in 32 cases. On the basis of TEE evaluation, mitral valve replacement was performed electively in 10 patients (7%); the other 142 (93%) underwent mitral valve repair. Adequate repair was obtained in 93% of cases; residual mitral regurgitation (eight cases; grade 3+) and mitral stenosis (one case) were documented by intraoperative TEE, and nine patients (6%) underwent valve replacement. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with myxomatous mitral valve prolapse and severe regurgitation undergoing valve repair have chordal rupture of the posterior mitral leaflet, a condition in which results of valve repair are excellent. TEE provides a powerful means to define the mechanisms of mitral regurgitation and to identify the suitability of patients for valvuloplasty.     

Widening plasty of the anterior cusp in rheumatic mitral insufficiency

The mechanism of insufficiency in rheumatic valve disease includes 1. annulus dilatation and 2. restricted leaflet motion. Aiming at improving the treatment of restriction, augmentation of the anterior mitral leaflet (AML) was achieved with a piece of autologous pericardium. METHODS: between January 1995 and December 1999, out of 274 patients refered for rheumatic mitral disease, 143 patients underwent a repair (52%), 81% of them had pure regurgitation with no stenosis. Ring annuloplasty was performed in all cases. Two techniques used for treating the restrictive componant of the regurgitation were compared in two consecutive cohort of patients: no AML augmentation (n=62) and AML augmentation (n=81). Mean age was 42 + 3 years and all preoperative variables were comparable except for the incidence of redo patients who all underwent AML extension. RESULTS: in hospital mortality was 0.7% (n=1 with AML extension) and there was one early reoperation for a pericardial patch dehiscence. After a mean follow-up of 3.2 years, there was one sudden death (no AML extension). The reoperation rate was lower with (2.5%) than without (12.9%) AML augmentation (p<0.05). Echographic study showed a lower incidence of recurrency of mitral insufficiency when AML augmentation had been performed (grade 2: 9% and grade 3: 3%) as compared to no AML augmentation (grade 2: 35% and grade 3: 14%) (p<0.05). The mitral orifice area was larger (AML augmentation: 2.2 + 0.3 cm2 vs no AML augmentation: 1.8 + 0.4 cm2). CONCLUSION: ring annuloplasty alone failed to correct rheumatic mitral insufficiency in all cases. AML augmentation improved the quality of the repair and decreased the risk of reoperation.     

Mitral valve repair and the anterior leaflet

Mitral valve repair with annuloplasty has become a widely accepted technique for correction of posterior leaflet mitral valve pathology. Advantages over mitral valve replacement include improved hemodynamic performance and improved ventricular function. Although repairs of the anterior leaflet met with less success initially, recent reports have emphasized the safety and effectiveness of chordal shortening, chordal transposition, and chordal replacement in treating disease of the anterior leaflet. Isolated annuloplasty and creation of double orifice mitral valves show promise for the treatment of mitral insufficiency in conjunction with heart failure and with other complex surgical procedures.     

Hemolytic anemia produced by regurgitation through transposed chordae tendineae

Hemolytic anemia after mitral repair and annuloplasty ring placement is very uncommon, and rarely described. The case is presented of a 53-year-old woman who developed severe mitral regurgitation and transfusion-dependent hemolytic anemia following mitral valve repair with a Carpentier-Edwards annuloplasty ring, which included transposition of chordae tendineae from the posterior leaflet to the anterior leaflet. Transesophageal echocardiography suggested that the transposed chordae tethered the anterior leaflet, causing malcoaptation of the leaflets. This resulted in central regurgitation divided by the chordae tendineae, producing two turbulent flow jets causing hemolysis. At reoperation, these chordae were removed and two longer Gortex neochordae to the anterior leaflet were placed with subsequent resolution of the anemia. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of hemolytic anemia caused by transposed mitral valve chordae tendineae from the posterior to the anterior leaflet.     

Anterior leaflet augmentation with autologous pericardium for mitral repair in rheumatic valve insufficiency

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The mechanism of insufficiency in rheumatic valve disease includes annulus dilatation and restricted leaflet motion. In order to improve the treatment of restriction, the anterior mitral leaflet (AML) can be augmented with a piece of glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium. METHODS: Between January 1995 and December 1999, among 274 patients referred for rheumatic mitral disease, 143 (52%) underwent a valve repair. Of these patients, 81% had pure regurgitation and 19% had significant associated stenosis. Ring annuloplasty was used in all cases. Techniques used to treat the restrictive component of the regurgitation were compared in two consecutive cohorts of patients, either with (n = 62) or without (n = 81) AML augmentation. Mean patient age was 42 +/- 3 years, and all preoperative variables were comparable except for the incidence of redo patients, who all underwent AML extension. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 0.7% (n = 1 with AML extension), and there was one early reoperation for pericardial patch dehiscence. After a mean follow up of 3.2 years, there was one sudden death (no AML extension). The reoperation rate was lower with (2.5%) than without (12.9%) AML augmentation (p <0.05). Echocardiography showed a lower incidence in recurrence of mitral insufficiency when AML augmentation was performed (grade 2, 9% versus grade 3, 3%) as compared to no AML augmentation (grade 2, 35% versus grade 3, 14%) (p <0.05). The mitral orifice area was larger (AML augmentation 2.2 +/- 0.3 cm versus no AML augmentation 1.8 +/- 0.4 cm2). CONCLUSION: Ring annuloplasty alone failed to correct rheumatic mitral insufficiency in all cases. AML augmentation improved the quality of the repair, and decreased the risk of reoperation.     

The multifactorial etiology of mitral valve prolapse, a new entity of postinflammatory mitral valve prolapse

As etiologic factors for mitral valve prolapse, papillary muscle dysfunction due to coronary artery disease, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, atrial septal defect and trauma have been reported. Connective tissue diseases such as Marfan's syndrome. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or Turner's syndrome may also result in mitral valve prolapse. In the majority of patients with mitral valve prolapse, however, the etiology is unknown, in which case the condition is considered primary or idiopathic. We evaluated 33 consecutive surgically-excised mitral valves removed from patients with regurgitant prolapsing mitral valves and congestive heart failure. On microscopic examination, myxomatous degeneration was observed in 14 cases, postinflammatory changes, however, were seen in the other 19 cases and included diffuse vascularization with thick-walled vessels, round-cell infiltration and destruction of valve architecture. These valves showed a varying degree of doming and/or interchordal hooding as well as an increased surface area. Elongated chordae tendineae were seen in 37%, chordal rupture in 16% of the patients. Slightly fused chordae tendineae, minimal commissural fusion and/or fibrous thickening of cusps were also observed, findings which simulate closely rheumatic valvulitis. Patients with postinflammatory mitral valve prolapse were younger at the time of operation and at the onset of symptoms, had smaller surface areas of the anterior mitral leaflet and more marked leaflet thickening than patients with myxomatous mitral valve prolapse. The results of the study show that mitral valve prolapse in patients with severe mitral regurgitation can be attributed to postinflammatory changes; we suggest, therefore, the term "postinflammatory valve prolapse". Postinflammatory mitral valve prolapse may be due to manifest or subclinical rheumatic fever.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)