title: Effect of gender on echocardiographic outcomes of patients presenting with mitral stenosis at a tertiary care hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the gender-based differences in the echocardiographic outcomes of patients with mitral stenosis presenting at a tertiary care hospital and the clinical implications of such differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 90 echocardiographs of both men and women (aged < or = 15 years) having mitral valve area (MVA) less than 4 cm2 were assessed. In addition to MVA, pressure halftime and left atrial diameter (LAD) of the patients was also recorded. Other co-existing valvular lesions were also assessed in addition to mitral stenosis. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS-17.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher prevalence of mitral stenosis (MS) was found in women than men (76.66% vs 24.44%). Men were having more severe mitral stenosis as compared to women (MVA = 1.19 cm2 vs 1.32 cm2). This also resulted in significantly higher left atrial dilatation in males as compared to women (45.09 vs 41.75, p = 0.0422). Most of the patients had other coexisting valvular lesions and isolated MS was rare. However, men had a predominance of aortic stenosis along with mitral stenosis (27% vs 4%, p = 0.0059) whereas women had a higher prevalence of mitral regurgitation along with mitral stenosis than the men (65% vs 36%, p = 0.0258).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were certain significant differences in echocardiographic outcomes of patients based upon their gender. A gender-specific management approach towards the patients with mitral stenosis is essential to have better outcome.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.lastname: Inam-ul-Haq
authors.forename: Muhammad Amer
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saleem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D063128:Tertiary Health Care