Mitral Stenosis and Rheumatic Fever Flashcards
What are the signs/examination findings of mitral stenosis? (6)
What are features suggesting severe mitral stenosis? (5)
A. Inspection
- Mitral facies rash (pulmonary hypertension)
- Previous mitral valvotomy scar over left lateral chest wall
B. Pulse
- Severe: low pulse pressure (pulsus parvus)
- Complications: AF (LAH)
C. Apex beat - tapping, undisplaced
D. Heart Sound and Murmur
- Mid-diastolic rumbling MDM murmur over mitral area with presystolic accentuation
- Opening snap, loud S1
- Severe: increasing length of murmur
- Severe: shortening interval S2 and opening snap due to high LA pressure
E. Manoeuver to left lateral, expiration or exercise to accentuate murmur
F. Signs of complications
- Pulmonary hypertension: RVH and PR - loud P2, palpable P2, left parasternal heave, PR murmur (EDM)
- Heart failure: raised JVP, +/- a wave, cyanosis
Features of severe MS
1. Low pulse pressure (pulsus parvus)
2. Increasing length of murmur
3. Shortening interval between S2 and opening snap (high LA pressure)
4. Pulmonary hypertension - mitral facies rash, +/-RVH and PR - loud P2, palpable P2, left parasternal heave, PR murmur (EDM)
5. Heart failure: raised JVP, +/- a wave, cyanosis
Describe this heart sound
Mid diastolic murmur - MS
Differential diagnosis of mid-diastolic murmur? (6)
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MS, atrial myxoma, thrombus, severe MR, severe AR
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- Mitral stenosis
- Left atrial mass (atrial myxoma)
- Left atrial thrombus (ball-valve thrombosis)
- Severe mitral regurgitation (increased flow through mitral valve during diastole)
- Austin flint murmur (severe AR)
- Flow across tricuspid valve in ASD
- Cor triatriatum - congenital defect with 3 atria divided by fibromuscular band
What is the differential diagnosis of a malar flush? (8)
- Mitral stenosis (low output state due to pulmonary hypertension)
- Hypothyroidism
- SLE
- Carcinoid
- Polycythaemia
- Systemic sclerosis
- Irradiation
- Cold weather
How do patients with MS present?
- Asymptomatic
- Precipitationg of symptoms during pregnancy or development of AF
- Left sided heart failure: exertional dyspnoea, PND, orthopnoea
- Right sided heart failure: haemoptysis, hoarseness, limb swelling
What are the causes of mitral stenosis? (R4C)
- Rheumatic fever
- Calcific degeneration
- Rare causes
- congenital: congenital parachute valve
- connective tissue disease: SLE, RA
- carcinoid
- Rarer: mucopolysaccharidoses, Fabry’s disease, Whipple’s disease
How do you classify the severity of mitral stenosis?
A. Clinically
B. Echocardiogram
A. Clinically
- Mild: no pulmonary hypertension
- Moderate: pulmonary hypertension
- Severe: congestive heart failure
B. Echocardiogram
Mitral valve area (normal 4-6)
- Mild is >1.5cm
- Moderate is 1-1.5cm
- Severe is <1.0cm
What are the complications of mitral stenosis? (5)
- AF from left atrial enlargement
- LA thrombus formation and embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Right heart failure and pulmonary oedema
- Risk of infective endocarditis
How would you investigate a patient with mitral stenosis?
- ECG (3)
- CXR (4)
- TTE
- Pre-surgical workup
- ECG:
- AF
- LAH or dilatation (p mitrale, large p wave with a notch)
- RAD, RVH (p pulmonale) - CXR:
- Enlarged LA (double heart border, straightening of left heart border, horizontalisation of left bronchus/splaying of carina)
- Pulmonary congestion (upper lobe diversion, Kerley B)
- Prominent pulmonary arteries
- Calcified mitral valves - Echocardiogram
- Assess mitral valve
- Grade severity
- Assess left atrium and right heart function
- Look for complications (IE) - Coronary angiography: check coronary artery disease for concomittant CABG + valve replacement
How would you manage a patient with mitral stenosis?
Multidisciplinary team, managing complications of AF/CCF, surgical intervention
Asymptomatic
- Education
- Endocarditis prophylaxis
- Regular interval echocardiogram
Symptomatic
1. Involvement of multidisciplinary team and management of complications
2. Atrial fibrillation: rate/rhythm control, anticoagulation
3. CCF: diuretics, ACEi, spironolactone, SGLT2i
4. Refer for surgery if clinically indicated
What are the indications for surgery in mitral stenosis?
- Symptomatic (4)
- Asymptomatic (2)
Symptomatic (NYHA II-IV) patients with severe lesions:
- Valve area <1cm and valve gradient > 10mmHg
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Haemoptysis
- Recurrent thromboembolism despite anticoagulation
Asymptomatic patients
- Changes in symptoms
- Pulmonary pressure >50mmHg
(No evidence that surgical procedure improves prognosis of patients with slight or no functional impairment)
What surgical procedures can be used to treat mitral stenosis?
- Closed mitral ballooon valvuloplasty (PMBC) *
(Percutaneous mitral balloon commisurotomy) - Open heart commisurotomy (midline sternotomy)
- Mitral valve replacement
What are the criteria for valvuloplasty?
- Mobile valve (loud S1, has opening snap)
- Minimal calcification of valve and subvalvular apparatus
- No mitral regurgitation
- No LA thrombus on TEE
What causes tapping apex beat?
Accentuated first heart sound
What causes an opening snap in mitral stenosis?
Opening of stenosed mitral valve, indicating leaflets are pliable
The earlier the opening snap, the higher the LA pressure
(If > 0.1s, LA pressure < 15mmHg ; If < 0.1s, LA pressure > 20mmHg)