title: What are the differences in presentation of candidates for percutaneous mitral commissurotomy across the world and do they influence the results of the procedure?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite marked global differences in the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease, little is known about geographic variations in the characteristics of patients with severe mitral stenosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if differences in rheumatic fever epidemiology influence the characteristics of patients with mitral stenosis and the immediate results of percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared 350 patients (mean age: 41+/-17 years, 81% women) scheduled for PMC in five non-Western and two Western countries. Fifty consecutive patients were included in each centre. All presented a mitral valve area less than 1.5 cm2 and were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class greater or equal to II, with no contraindications to PMC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 250 patients from non-Western countries were younger than the 100 patients from Western countries (35+/-12 vs 57+/-15 years, p<0.0001) and had more severe valve disease, assessed by indexed valve area (0.57+/-0.14 vs 0.62+/-0.14 cm2/m2 body surface area, p=0.006), mean gradient (15+/-6 vs 8+/-4 mmHg, p<0.0001) and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (57+/-21 vs 42+/-14 mmHg, p<0.0001). PMC complication rates did not differ significantly. Good immediate PMC results were observed in 225 patients (90%) in non-Western and 88 (88%) in Western centres (p=0.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with Western countries, PMC candidates from non-Western countries are younger, with more severe valve stenosis. However, PMC achieves good immediate results in a similarly high proportion of patients, showing the wide applicability of this technique.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Bichat Hospital, AP-HP, 46, rue Henri-Huchard, 75018 Paris, France. eloi_marijon@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Eloi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marijon
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iung
authors.forename: Ana-Olga
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Mocumbi
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kamblock
authors.forename: Chien Vo
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Thanh
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gamra
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.forename: Igor F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahanian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult