title: Anatomy of the mitral valve: understanding the mitral valve complex in mitral regurgitation.
abstract: Imaging the mitral valve requires an understanding of the normal anatomy and how this complex structure is altered by disease states. Mitral regurgitation is increasingly prevalent. Despite the fall in rheumatic disease, it is the second most common valvular lesion seen in adults in Europe. In this review, the morphology of the normal and abnormal valve is reconsidered in relation to the key structures, with a view to aiding the reader in understanding how this might relate to echocardiographic identification of abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Morphology Unit, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London, Sydney Street, London SW3 6LY, UK. k.mccarthy@rbht.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Karen P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: Bushra S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Rana
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology