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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Fully Endoscopic Mitral Valve Repair with Percutaneous Cannulation of Groin Vessels
Published on: May 26, 2023
Partial hammock valve: surgical repair in adulthood
José I Aramendi1, Miguel A Rodríguez, Roberto Voces
1Division of Cardiac Surgery, Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Vizcaya, Spain. jiaramendi@hcru.osakidetza.net
Insights
A rare congenital heart defect, a forme fruste of hammock valve, affects only the posterior mitral leaflet. This previously unreported lesion causes severe mitral regurgitation in adults, requiring surgical repair.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Cardiac Surgery
Background:
- Hammock valve is a rare congenital anomaly of the mitral valve.
- This condition typically involves both mitral leaflets.
- A forme fruste variant affecting only the posterior leaflet is described here.
Observation:
- Three adult patients presented with severe mitral regurgitation.
- Diagnosis of posterior leaflet fibrosis was suspected preoperatively.
- Intraoperative findings revealed accessory papillary muscles attached to the posterior mitral leaflet.
Findings:
- Accessory papillary muscles arranged in a palisade formation restricted posterior leaflet motion during systole.
- This previously unreported congenital lesion manifests in adulthood.
- Surgical repair involved dividing accessory papillary muscles, patch augmentation, and ring annuloplasty.
Implications:
- This study identifies a novel congenital heart defect, a forme fruste of hammock valve.
- Early recognition and surgical intervention are crucial for managing this condition.
- Understanding this variant expands knowledge of mitral valve anomalies and their surgical management.
Abstract:
We describe a forme frustrée of hammock valve involving only the posterior mitral leaflet. Three adult patients were referred to surgery with the diagnosis of severe mitral regurgitation due to fibrosis of the posterior mitral leaflet. The final diagnosis was done intraoperatively. In all of them the posterior leaflet was attached to some accessory papillary muscles arranged en palisade, with three to four fused muscle heads producing restrictive leaflet motion in systole. Repair consisted in division of the papillary muscles, patch augmentation, and ring annuloplasty. This previously unreported lesion is congenital but manifests itself in adulthood.
