Head and neck lymphedema can be caused by surgery or radiation therapy for tongue or throat cancer. It may also occur in the lower limbs or groin after surgery for colon, ovarian or uterine cancer, in which removal of lymph nodes or radiation therapy is required.
1 Heart attack. A heart attack can damage the area of the heart muscle that supports the mitral valve, affecting the function of the valve. If the damage is extensive enough, a heart attack can cause sudden and severe mitral valve regurgitation.  Abnormality of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy).
Mitral Valve Regurgitation. The mitral valve is on the left side of the heart. It lets blood flow from the upper to the lower heart chamber. Mitral valve regurgitation is diagnosed when the mitral valve in the heart does not close well, which causes blood to leak back from the left ventricle into the left atrium. Mitral valve regurgitation forces the heart to work harder to pump extra blood out of the heart.