Mitral valve differences, opening when there is greater pressure in the left atrium than ventricle, and closing when there is greater pressure in the ventricle than atrium. In abnormal conditions, blood may flow backwards through the valve (mitral regurgitation) or the mitral valve may be narrowed (mitral stenosis). Rheumatic heart disease often affects the mitral valve; the valve may also prolapse with age, and be affected by infective endocarditis. The mitral valve is named after the mitre of a bishop, which resembles its flaps. The mitral valve is typically in area, and sits in the left heart between the left atrium and
Mitral valve stenosis asymptomatic patients. The treatment options for mitral stenosis include medical management, mitral valve replacement by surgery, and percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty by balloon catheter. The indication for invasive treatment with either a mitral valve replacement or valvuloplasty is NYHA functional class III or IV symptoms. Another option is balloon dilatation. To determine which patients would benefit from percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty, a scoring system has been developed. Scoring is based on 4 echocardiographic criteria: leaflet mobility, leaflet thickening, subvalvar thickening, and calcification. Individuals with a score of ≥ 8 tended to have suboptimal results. Superb results with valvotomy are seen in