title: Anatomy of the mitral valve apparatus: role of 2D and 3D echocardiography.
abstract: The mitral valve apparatus is a complex 3-dimensional (3D) functional unit that is critical to unidirectional heart pump function. This review details the normal anatomy, histology, and function of the main mitral valve apparatus components: mitral annulus, mitral valve leaflets, chordae tendineae, and papillary muscles. Two-dimensional and 3D echocardiography is ideally suited to examine the mitral valve apparatus and has provided important insights into the mechanism of mitral valve disease. An overview of standardized echocardiography image acquisition and interpretation is provided. Understanding normal mitral valve apparatus function is essential to comprehend alterations in mitral valve disease and the rationale for repair strategies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Yawkey 5B, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dal-Bianco
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology