Valvular Heart Disease Flashcards
What are the histological layers of the valves?
Endothelium lining both sides
Either atrialis or ventricularis
Spongiosa
Fibrosa
What does the fibrosa of the valve contain?
Dense collagenous layer, close to outflow surface
What does the spongiosa of the valve contain?
Central core of loose connective tissue
What is contained within the ventricularis/atrialis?
Elastin layer below inflow surface
What is valvular stenosis?
Narrowing with failure to open completely thereby impeding forward flow.
This can coexist with incompetence
What is valvular incompetence?
Failure to close properly thereby allowing reversed flow.
This can coexist with stenosis
How are valvular problems detected?
Abnormal heart sounds or murmurs
What affects the consequences of valve dysfunction?
The degree of valve involvement
Degree of impairment
How fast it develops
Rate and quality of compensatory mechanism
What typically causes valvular stenosis?
Myocardial Infarction
Dilated cardiomyopathy causes valve ring to widen up creating a larger hole and the valve can’t close it
What causes Mitral Valve stenosis?
Post inflammatory scarring
How can valve stenosis result in injury to endocardium?
High speed jets can damage the lining of the heart that they push against
What is functional regurgitation?
Dilation of the heart stretches valve ring and creates a bigger hole and valve can’t close across the bigger hole
How much of valvular diseases are caused by acquired valvular stenosis?
Acquired valvular stenosis accounts for 2/3rds of vavlular diseases.
What are the major causes of mitral valve stenosis?
Post inflammatory scarring (Rheumatic Heart Disease)
What are the major causes of Mitral regurgitation?
Abnormalities of leaflets and commissures (Mitral valve prolapse)
Abnormalities of tensor apparatus (Rupture of papillary muscle)
Abnormalities of LV cavity and or annulus (LV enlargement)
What are the major causes of aortic valve stenosis?
Post inflammatory scarring
Calcification of aortic valve
What are the major causes of aortic valve regurgitation?
Post inflammatory scarring
What are the major causes of aortic disease?
Degenerative dilation and collagen diseases
What causes mitral stenosis?
Rheumatic fever is the leading cause
Who is more likely to get mitral valve stenosis?
2 thirds of patients with mitral stenosis are female
What are signs/symptoms of mitral valve stenosis?
Atrial fibrillation due to thrombi
Haemoptysis (coughing up blood)
Pulmonary congestion and hypertension
Right ventricular hypertrophy
Heart murmur
What type of murmur is seen with mitral valve stenosis?
Loud first heart sound, normal second heart sound followed by an
opening snap
Rumbling diastolic murmur
What causes mitral incompetence?
Myxoid degeneration (floppy valve): 5 - 10%
Rheumatic fever
Dilation of valve ring
Papillary muscle fibrosis, rupture
What are the symptoms of mitral incompetence?
Little effect with prolapse but 3% of patients affected due to chordae rupture may have thrombosis and atrial fibrillation.
LA enlargement
Acute LV failure with dilation if there is rupture of papillary muscle
What does the heart murmur associated with mitral incompetence sound like?
Mild systolic click (but can be quite variable)
Systolic - holosystolic
Systolic - musical
What happens during mitral valve prolapse?
Interchordal ballooning or hooding of mitral leaflets which are enlarged rubbery and thick.
The chordae tendinae can become large thinned or ruptured
Annular dilation
Thinning of the fibrosa and thickening of the spongiosa and deposition of myxoid material
What happens to valve tissue layers during a prolapse?
Fibrosa is thinned
Spongiosa is thickened
Myxoid is deposited
What are some secondary changes that result from a mitral valve prolapse?
Fibrous thickening of leaflets
Thickening of LV endocardial surface
Thickening of mural endocardium (LV or atrium)
Thrombi on atrial surface of leaflets
Focal calcifications at the base of posterior mitral leaflet
Mid or late systolic click or mumor
What causes aortic stenosis?
Degenerative calcification (common) [Old age causes calcification]
Rheumatic aortic valve disease
What are the clinical features of aortic stenosis?
Small pulse
LV hypertrophy
Angina
Syncope
LV failure
Sudden death
What are the types of murmurs caused by aortic stenosis?
Ejection systolic murmur
What happens to mobility of the cusps of valves with age?
The leaflets become less mobile