Aetiology, LA and Suitability for Balloon Valvuloplasty Flashcards
What are the congenital causes of MS?
- Annular hypoplasia
- Anomalous mitral arcade
- Parachute MV
What are the echo characteristics of a Parachute MV?
- Single papillary muscle (A4C) placed more superiorly than normal
- Leaflets have reduced mobility as both leaflets are tethered to the same papillary muscle
Characteristic Features of Shone’s Syndrome?
- Supravalvular mitral ring/membrane
- Valvular mitral stenosis (parachute MV)
- Aortic coarctation
- Subaortic stenosis or BAV
What are the causes of acquired MS?
- Rheumatic MV Disease
2. Excessive MAC
Characteristics of Rheumatic MVD?
- Fusion of commissures
- Thickening and fibrosis of leaflets
- Leaflet calcification
- Thick, short and matted chords
- A ‘fish mouth’ orifice (reduced orifice)
- Calcification of commissures often occurs
What is the echo appearance of rheumatic MS?
- Diastolic doming of MV leaflets: occurs due to commissure fusion
- Pmvl shorter than amvl
- Pmvl often fixed with restricted motion
- Amvl looks like ‘hockey stick’ due to leaflet tethering
- Commissure fusion with significant reduction in MV orifice (PSAX)
- Subvalvular involvement may be seen; appears as short and thick chords (A4C with posterior tilting)
- CFI shows ‘tunneling’ effect caused by subvalvular involvement
When is leaflet doming absent in MS?
If leaflets are excessively fibrosed or calcified
Examples of when is leaflet doming present in the absence of MS?
- MV prolapse
- Mass lesions or vegetations involving free edge of amvl
When is there reduced MV opening in the absence of MS?
Reduced MV opening due to low cardiac output
Characteristics of Mitral Annular Calcification (MAC)?
- Commences at posterior aspect; progresses laterally
- Heavy MAC extends to body of leaflet and subvalvular apparatus => reduced mobility => functional MS
- Leaflet tips are spared
What is the echo appearance of MAC?
- Areas of increased echogenicity at mitral annulus
- Excessive MAC extends into mitral leaflets
- Mitral leaflet tips are usually spared
- Absence of commissural fusion
What differentiates MAC from rheumatic MS?
- Absence of commissural fusion differentiates MAC from rheumatic MS
- Rheumatic MS = commissural fusion
- MAC = no commissural fusion
Other causes of LV inflow obstruction that can clinically mimic MS?
- Cor triatriatum (membrane transecting LA cavity)
- Large MV vegetations
- LA myxoma (tumour prolapses through MV during diastole and can mimic MS)
Affect of MS on LA size?
- MS decreases MVA which obstructs LA emptying during diastole
- Increased LAP leads to LA dilatation
- LA dilatation increases risk of AF and LA thrombus formation
How does LA thrombus form as a result of MS?
- Patients with MS prone to development of AF
- AF + dilated LA = stasis of blood flow which can lead to thrombus formation
- Thrombus formation most common in LAA
- SEC (‘smoke’) precursor for thrombus formation