I. Aortic Stenosis: What every physician needs to know. Aortic stenosis (AS) refers to any condition that narrows the orifice of the aortic valve. While once caused primarily by rheumatic heart disease, this etiology is now rare in developed countries where calcific disease is now the major cause. Historically referred to as calcific degeneration, it…
I. Mitral Regurgitation: What every physician needs to know. Primary mitral regurgitation The mitral valve is composed of its leaflets, the chordae tendineae, the mitral annulus, and the papillary muscles that link the chordae to the left ventricle (LV). Primary mitral regurgitation (PMR) may occur from pathology of any of these valve components. In developed…
I. Functional Mitral Regurgitation: What every physician needs to know Secondary (functional) Mitral Regurgitation Secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) occurs when coronary disease with myocardial infarction or primary dilated cardiomyopathy cause a combination of left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities, mitral annular dilatation, papillary muscle displacement and reduced closing force that prevent the mitral valve from…
