Mitral valve Health Dictionary

The valve, with three cusps or ?aps, that guards the opening from the right atrium into the right ventricle of the HEART.... tricuspid valve

The valve that controls the ?ow of blood from the AORTA to the left ventricle of the HEART.... aortic valve

A defect in the MITRAL VALVE of the HEART which allows blood to leak from the left VENTRICLE into the left ATRIUM. It is also known as mitral regurgitation; incompetence may occur along with MITRAL STENOSIS. The left ventricle has to work harder to compensate for the faulty valve, so it enlarges, but eventually the ventricle cannot cope with the extra load and left-sided heart failure may develop. A common cause of mitral incompetence is RHEUMATIC FEVER or damage following a heart attack. The condition is treated with drugs to help the heart, but in severe cases heart surgery may be required.... mitral incompetence

Narrowing of the opening between the left ATRIUM and left VENTRICLE of the HEART as a result of rigidity of, and adhesion between, the cusps of the MITRAL VALVE. It is due, almost invariably, to the infection RHEUMATIC FEVER. The atrium has to work harder to force blood through the narrowed channel. The effects are similar to those of MITRAL INCOMPETENCE. Shortness of breath and palpitations and irregular beating (?brillation) of the atrium are common consequences in adults. Drug treatment with DIGOXIN and DIURETICS helps, but surgery to dilate or replace the faulty valve may be necessary.... mitral stenosis

A structure that allows fluid or semi-fluid material to flow in 1 direction through a tube or passageway but closes to prevent reflux in the opposite direction. The valves at the exits from the heart chambers and in the veins are essential to the circulatory system. There are also small valves in the vessels of the lymphatic system.... valve

Backflow of blood from the left ventricle of the heart (pumping arterial blood outwards to the aorta) into the left atrium (receiving oxygenated blood from the lungs) because of faulty closure of the mitral (bicuspid) valve that guards between the two chambers.... regurgitations, mitral

These cup-like structures are found in the HEART, VEINS, and lymphatic vessels (see LYMPH); they ensure that the circulation of the blood and lymph goes always in one direction.... valves

A serious defect of the mitral valve of the heart. Two kinds: (1) a permanently deformed narrowed valve (mitral stenosis), or (2) a dilated, over-stretched or distorted valve through enlargement of the left ventricle. In this case imperfect closure causes back pressure which produces chest symptoms. Incompetence leads to enlargement of the heart. Often a legacy from rheumatic fever in children. Sooner or later the liver congests with possible jaundice. Presence of albumin in the urine follows kidney involvement.

Treatment. See: HEART – LEFT VENTRICULAR FAILURE. ... mitral disease

See mitral valve prolapse.... floppy valve syndrome

A structure at the exit of a heart chamber that allows blood to flow out of the chamber, but prevents backwash. There are 4 heart valves: aortic, pulmonary, mitral, and tricuspid. Their opening and closing during each heart cycle produces heart sounds.

Any of the 4 heart valves may be affected by stenosis (narrowing), which causes the heart to work harder to force blood through the valve, or by incompetence or insufficiency (leakiness), which makes the valve unable to prevent backwash of blood. These defects cause characteristic heart murmurs.

Heart-valve defects may be present at birth (see heart disease, congenital), or they may be acquired later in life. The most common congenital valve defects are aortic stenosis and pulmonary stenosis. Acquired heart-valve disease is usually the result of degenerative changes or ischaemia affecting part of the heart and leading to aortic stenosis or mitral incompetence. Rheumatic fever can cause mitral stenosis, mitral incompetence, aortic valve defects, tricuspid stenosis and tricuspid incompetence. The heart valves may also be damaged by bacterial endocarditis.

Heart-valve disorders commonly lead to heart failure, arrhythmias, or symptoms resulting from reduced blood supply to body tissues.

Heart-valve defects may be diagnosed by auscultation, chest X-ray, ECG, or echocardiography and may be corrected by heart-valve surgery.... heart valve

A common, slight deformity of the mitral valve, in the left side of the heart, that can produce a degree of mitral incompetence. The prolapse is most common in women and causes a heart murmur. It may be inherited, but the cause is often unknown.Usually, there are no symptoms, and treatment is not needed. Occasionally, the condition may produce chest pain, arrhythmia, or, rarely, heart failure. Often, no treatment is required for mitral valve prolapse, but some people may be treated with beta-blocker drugs, diuretic drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, or, rarely, heart-valve surgery.... mitral valve prolapse

A surgical operation to replace a defective or diseased heart valve. (See also heart-valve surgery.)... valve replacement

a *shunt used in the treatment of *glaucoma to reduce and control intraocular pressure. The device works by bypassing the *trabecular meshwork and redirecting the outflow of aqueous humour through a small tube into an outlet chamber.... ahmed valve

a form of mechanical prosthesis commonly used in the past for replacing damaged heart valves. Currently, most mechanical valve replacements are of the tilting-disc variety.... ball-and-cage valve

see mitral valve.... bicuspid valve

An operation to correct a heart valve defect or to remove a diseased or damaged valve. A heart valve may have to be repaired, widened, or replaced because it is either incompetent (leaky) or stenotic (narrowed). Widening of a valve may involve valvotomy or valvuloplasty. A damaged valve can be replaced by a mechanical one (fashioned from metal and plastic), a valve constructed from human tissue, a pig valve, or a valve taken from a human donor after death. A heart–lung machine is used during replacement.After heart-valve surgery, symptoms such as breathlessness may take weeks to improve and require medication to be continued. Some people need longterm treatment with anticoagulant drugs to prevent the formation of blood clots around the new valve.... heart-valve surgery

a valve at the junction of the small and large intestines consisting of two membranous folds that close to prevent the backflow of food from the colon and caecum to the ileum.... ileocaecal valve

(mitral incompetence) failure of the *mitral valve to close, allowing a reflux of blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the left atrium. It may be due to mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in which one or both valve leaflets flop back into the left atrium (also known as ‘floppy mitral valve’). It also results from chronic rheumatic scarring of the valve, or is secondary to left ventricular muscle damage. Its manifestations include breathlessness, atrial *fibrillation, embolism, enlargement of the left ventricle, and a systolic *murmur. Mild cases are symptomless and require no treatment, but in severe cases the affected valve should be repaired or replaced with an artificial one (mitral prosthesis).... mitral regurgitation

a valve in the heart lying between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. It is a *semilunar valve that prevents blood returning to the ventricle from the pulmonary artery.... pulmonary valve

either of the two valves in the heart situated at the origin of the aorta (see aortic valve) and the pulmonary artery (see pulmonary valve). Each consists of three flaps (cusps), which maintain the flow of blood in one direction.... semilunar valve

a one-way valve used to drain cerebrospinal fluid in order to control *hydrocephalus. The device is inserted into the ventricles of the brain and passes via a subcutaneous tunnel to drain into either the right atrium or the peritoneum.... spitz–holter valve

the most commonly used form of mechanical heart valve replacement.... tilting-disc valve

(TAVI) replacement of the aortic valve in patients with *aortic stenosis using a catheter-delivered prosthesis rather than open heart surgery. Usually the catheter is passed via the femoral artery, but sometimes it can be passed via the subclavian artery or through the wall of the left ventricle via a localized *thoracotomy.... transcatheter aortic valve implantation