Valvular Heart Disease Flashcards
What is stenosis?
A narrowing
What is the definition of mitral stenosis?
a mitral valve orifice that is less than 2cm
What effect does mitral stenosis have?
Atrial>Ventricular pressure/LA pressure/ pulmonary venous/capillary pressures/PVR/PaP increase, pulmonary hypertension develops as does right heart dilatation causing tricuspid regurgitation
What can cause the stenosis to become more severe?
Anything that increases CO and HR e.g. exercise, acute illness, pregnancy and atrial fibrillation
What are the clinical manifestations of mitral stenosis?
Dyspnoea (pulmonary oedema), haemoptysis (rupture of thin-walled veins), systemic embolization (LA and LAA enlargement), IE, chest pain and hoarseness (compression of the L recurrent laryngeal nerve)
What would the findings be on examining someone with mitral stenosis?
Mitral facies, normal pulse, JVP - prominent a wave, tapping apex beat, diastolic thrill, RV heave and a murmur between S2 and S1 on auscultation
What investigations might be done to diagnose mitral stenosis?
ECG, CX-Ray, echocardiography and cardiac MR
What is the treatment for mitral stenosis?
Diuretics and restriction of sodium intake, AF: SR restoration/ventricular rate control, anticoagulation for all those with AF (debatable in SR), valvotomy (balloon vs surgical) and MVR
What are the causes or mitral regurgitation?
Rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve prolapse, IE, degenerative and functional MR due to LV and annular dilatation
What is ERO?
Effective regurgitant orifice
What factors affect the ERO?
Preload, afterload and contractility
What happens when the left ventricle tries to compensate for the regurgitation?
EDV increases and ESV returns to normal causing eccentric LVH
What happens when LA compliance is reduced?
There is a marked pressure rise, thickening of the atrial myocardium, increase in PVR and remodelling of the pulmonary vasculature with PHT
What happens when LA compliance is increased?
There is marked volume enlargement and lesser changes in pulmonary vasculature but they develop atrial fibrillation
What are the clinical manifestations of mitral regurgitation?
Acute MR (valve perforation, chordal/pap muscle) - breathlessness, pulmonary oedema and cardiogenick shock. Chronic MR - fatigue, exhaustion (low CO), right heart failure and dyspnoea/palpitations caused by AF