title: Severe mitral regurgitation due to an extraordinary heart defect.
abstract: A previously non-described cause of mitral regurgitation is presented. An asymptomatic 50-year old male who was casually diagnosed of mitral valve Barlow's disease underwent cardiac surgery due to severe mitral regurgitation. In the operating theatre, a longitudinal fissure of 1.5-2.0 cm length, along the posterior mitral leaflet, was found responsible for the insufficiency. This defect had features of a potential congenital origin and it was successfully repaired with direct suture. Whether it is an atypical mitral cleft, a variation of Barlow's morphology spectrum or a new congenital heart defect remains unclear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, QuirónSalud, Madrid, Spain alvarogr87@hotmail.es.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: García-Ropero
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, QuirónSalud, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marcelino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cortés García
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, QuironSalud, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aldamiz Echevarría
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, QuirónSalud, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jerónimo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farré Muncharaz
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Mitral cleft; Severe mitral insufficiency