title: Unusual sequelae after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty: a Doppler echocardiographic study.
abstract: Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty is a promising new technique for the treatment of mitral stenosis, with a relatively low complication rate reported to date. To assess the sequelae of this procedure, Doppler echocardiographic studies were prospectively performed before and after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in a series of 172 patients (mean age 53 +/- 17 years). After balloon dilation, mitral valve area increased from 0.9 +/- 0.3 to 2 +/- 0.8 cm2 (p less than 0.0001), mean gradient decreased from 16 +/- 6 to 6 +/- 3 mm Hg (p less than 0.0001) and mean left atrial pressure decreased from 24 +/- 7 to 14 +/- 6 mm Hg (p less than 0.0001). Although most patients were symptomatically improved, six (4%) were identified who had unusual sequelae evident on Doppler echocardiographic examination immediately after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. These included rupture of a posterior mitral valve leaflet, producing a flail distal leaflet portion with severe mitral regurgitation detected on Doppler color flow mapping (n = 1); asymptomatic rupture of the chordae tendineae attached to the anterior mitral valve leaflet with systolic anterior motion of the ruptured chordae into the left ventricular outflow tract (n = 1); a double-orifice mitral valve (n = 1); and evidence of a tear in the anterior mitral valve leaflet (n = 3), producing on both pulsed Doppler ultrasound and color flow mapping a second discrete jet of mitral regurgitation in addition to regurgitation through the main mitral valve orifice. All six patients made a satisfactory recovery and none has required mitral valve replacement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Abascal
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brandi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acquatella
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: I F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Weyman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002815:Chordae Tendineae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012421:Rupture