My Approach to the Echocardiographic Evaluation of Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Introduction

Chronic mitral valve regurgitation is a very common disease that must be differentiated into primary (structural mitral valve disease) and secondary (left ventricular [LV] disease) types to ensure appropriate management and treatment. Echocardiography is an essential exam in the etiological diagnosis to quantify a valve lesion and its repercussion as well as being decisive for defining the best surgical timing. Intraoperative echocardiography, such as MitraClip^® placement, is a Class I indication in mitral valve repair and interventional treatment.

Untreated mitral regurgitation (MR) is associated with worse outcomes due to the adverse consequences of volume overload on the cardiac chambers, whereas early intervention has shown excellent results for primary MR. However, what is the mechanism of MR?

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