title: Natural history of moderate mitral valve stenosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the introduction of surgery and percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for relieving severe mitral stenosis the natural history of the disease has markedly altered.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the natural history of the disease in patients with moderate mitral valve stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic, clinical and echocardiographic data were evaluated in 36 patients with moderate mitral stenosis during a follow-up of 71 +/- 15 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 36 patients comprised 32 women and 4 men with a mean age of 43.7 +/- 12.2 years; 28 were Jewish and 8 were of Arab origin. During follow-up, there was a significant decrease in mitral valve area, with an increase in mean mitral valve gradient and score. Mean loss of mitral valve area was 0.04 +/- 0.11 cm 2/year. No correlation was found between disease progression and age, past mitral valve commissurotomy, baseline mean gradient or mitral valve score. Larger baseline mitral valve area (P = 0.007) and Arab origin (P = 0.03) had an independent correlation to loss of mitral valve area. Fifteen patients (42%) did not demonstrate any loss in mitral valve area during the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of mitral valve narrowing in patients with moderate mitral stenosis is variable and cannot be predicted by patient's age, past commissurotomy, valve score or gradient. Secondly, larger baseline mitral valve area and Arab origin showed an independent correlation to loss of mitral valve area; and finally, in many patients valve area did not change over a long observation period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rinkevich
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lessick
authors.forename: Diab
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mutlak
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Markiewicz
authors.forename: Shimon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reisner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology*