Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Heart Sounds01:15

Heart Sounds

Heart sounds are generated by the turbulence in blood flow due to the closing of heart valves. These sounds are best perceived slightly away from the valves, where the blood flow disseminates the sound.
Auscultation is the process of listening to these internal body sounds using a stethoscope. The heart produces four types of sounds, but only two—S1 and S2—can usually be heard with a stethoscope.
S1, also known as the "lub" sound, is caused by the closure of atrioventricular (A-V) valves at the...
Hypersensitivities01:30

Hypersensitivities

Hypersensitivity, also known as a hypersensitivity reaction or allergic reaction, is a condition where the body's immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. Such substances, that cause hypersensitivity are referred to as an allergen, could be something typically harmless to most people, like pollen or certain foods.
Types of Hypersensitivities
Hypersensitivity reactions are categorized into four types: Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and Type 4. Each type has a distinct mechanism...
Passionate Love01:26

Passionate Love

Passionate love is a powerful emotional and physiological state that plays a significant role in human relationships. It is characterized by an intense longing for connection with another person and is often considered the foundation of romantic attraction. Psychological research identifies three fundamental components of passionate love: cognition, emotion, and behavior.Cognitive AspectsCognition in passionate love involves idealization and persistent thoughts about the loved one. Individuals...
Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis01:20

Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis

Tachyphylaxis is described as a rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated or continuous administration of the same drug dose. It is a phenomenon where the body becomes less responsive to a particular substance or intervention over time, requiring higher doses or stronger interventions to achieve the same effect. It results from adaptive changes in the body's receptors, signaling pathways, or physiological processes that occur in response to prolonged exposure to a stimulus.
Several...
Heart Failure Drugs: Inotropic Agents01:26

Heart Failure Drugs: Inotropic Agents

Positive inotropic agents are commonly used as the first line of treatment for heart failure. One such agent is digoxin, derived from the genus Digitalis, which has been known for centuries but effectively utilized since 1785. However, these cardiac glycosides can have potentially toxic effects due to their mechanism of action, which involves inhibiting Na+/K+-ATPase and increasing contractility. Digoxin is absorbed orally and distributed in various tissues, including the CNS. It has a long...
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Anaesthetic considerations for a patient with Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy undergoing cardiac resynchronisation therapy with pacemaker implantation.

Anaesthesia reports·2026
Same author

Considering veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a first-line strategy for rewarming in accidental hypothermia complicated by cardiac arrest - a case series.

Perfusion·2025
Same author

Complications in aortic surgery: are CSF drains to be blamed? Comment on Br J Anaesth 2018; 120: 904-913.

British journal of anaesthesia·2018
Same author

Complications: an anaesthetist's rather than a surgeon's notes (with apologies to Atul Gwande).

Anaesthesia·2018
Same author

Suturing central venous catheters.

British journal of anaesthesia·2017
Same author

The art of human anatomy: Renaissance to 21st century.

Vesalius : acta internationales historiae medicinae·2014

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) Using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension
06:20

Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) Using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension

Published on: December 5, 2020

You can love it so much. Heart shape.

K Valchanov1, F C Wells

  • 1Papworth Hospital, Papworth Everard, Cambridge CB3 8RE, UK. kvalchanov@hotmail.com

European Journal of Echocardiography : the Journal of the Working Group on Echocardiography of the European Society of Cardiology
|May 21, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This report describes a rare case where a mitral valve prolapse appeared in the shape of a heart during a transoesophageal echocardiogram. The patient underwent successful surgical repair of the valve, demonstrating how diagnostic imaging can occasionally identify unique anatomical patterns.

Keywords:
cardiac imagingechocardiographyvalve repairclinical cardiology

Frequently Asked Questions

More Related Videos

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
10:42

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) Using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension
06:20

Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) Using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension

Published on: December 5, 2020

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
10:42

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular medicine and mitral valve prolapse imaging
  • Diagnostic imaging techniques in clinical cardiology

Background:

Medical practitioners frequently encounter unexpected anatomical configurations during routine diagnostic procedures. While standard imaging protocols aim to identify structural abnormalities, rare visual patterns occasionally emerge within clinical datasets. No prior work had resolved the frequency of heart-shaped valve deformities in echocardiographic records. That uncertainty drove interest in documenting unique morphological presentations of mitral valve prolapse. Prior research has shown that valve prolapse often presents with varied leaflet displacement patterns. However, the specific occurrence of a heart-shaped sign remains largely anecdotal in current literature. This gap motivated a detailed examination of how such distinct visual markers appear during cardiac assessments. The current report addresses this phenomenon by presenting a specific instance of a heart-shaped valve anomaly.

Purpose Of The Study:

The aim of this study is to document a rare instance of a heart-shaped mitral valve prolapse identified through diagnostic imaging. This report addresses the challenge of interpreting unusual anatomical shapes encountered during routine cardiac assessments. The authors seek to provide a clear record of this specific morphological presentation for the clinical community. They explore how such visual signs can be captured using advanced echocardiographic techniques. The motivation stems from the need to improve recognition of atypical valve structures in cardiology. By describing this case, the researchers intend to share knowledge about rare diagnostic findings. The study examines the correlation between the observed heart sign and the subsequent surgical management of the patient. This effort highlights the importance of precise imaging in guiding clinical interventions for valve disorders.

Main Methods:

Review approach involved a detailed examination of a single clinical case presentation. The authors utilized transoesophageal echocardiography to capture high-resolution images of the patient's cardiac anatomy. This diagnostic strategy allowed for the identification of the unique heart-shaped valve deformity. The team performed a retrospective analysis of the imaging data to ensure accurate documentation. They compared the observed morphological features against standard clinical presentations of valve prolapse. The approach focused on documenting the visual characteristics of the prolapsed leaflets. Surgical repair records were reviewed to correlate the imaging findings with the actual anatomical state. This systematic evaluation provided a clear link between the visual sign and the clinical condition.

Main Results:

Key findings from the literature indicate that a heart-shaped mitral valve prolapse is a distinct, observable phenomenon. The authors documented this specific morphology during a transoesophageal echocardiogram procedure. Their analysis confirms that the prolapsed leaflets formed a recognizable heart sign. The patient successfully underwent surgical repair following this diagnostic identification. The results show that the valve deformity did not prevent a positive surgical outcome. This finding highlights the diagnostic utility of echocardiography in identifying rare anatomical shapes. The report provides a clear visual record of this unusual valve presentation. The data demonstrate that such unique signs can be accurately captured and treated in clinical practice.

Conclusions:

The authors conclude that unique visual markers can emerge during routine cardiac imaging assessments. Their report confirms that a heart-shaped mitral valve prolapse is a documented, albeit rare, clinical presentation. Synthesis and implications suggest that clinicians should remain observant for unusual morphological patterns during transoesophageal echocardiography. The successful surgical repair of this specific case highlights the importance of accurate diagnostic identification. This finding provides a reference point for future instances of unusual valve geometry. The authors propose that such visual signs do not preclude successful clinical intervention. Their work emphasizes the intersection between diagnostic observation and effective surgical outcomes. Clinicians might use this case to improve recognition of atypical valve shapes in future practice.

The researchers propose that the heart-shaped sign resulted from a specific mitral valve prolapse morphology. This configuration was identified during a transoesophageal echocardiogram, which allowed for a detailed view of the valve leaflets before the patient underwent a successful surgical repair procedure.

The authors utilized a transoesophageal echocardiogram to visualize the valve. This tool provides high-resolution images of cardiac structures by placing an ultrasound probe in the esophagus, which is superior to standard transthoracic methods for assessing mitral valve leaflet anatomy.

The transoesophageal approach was required because it offers clearer images of the posterior cardiac structures. Unlike transthoracic echocardiography, this method avoids interference from the chest wall and lungs, ensuring the precise visualization of the prolapsed mitral valve leaflets.

The authors relied on echocardiographic data to confirm the diagnosis. This imaging modality captures real-time motion of the heart, allowing the team to observe the prolapse as it occurred and verify the unique shape of the valve leaflets.

The researchers measured the valve morphology during the imaging session. They observed a distinct heart-shaped sign, which served as the primary indicator of the prolapse severity and guided the subsequent surgical decision-making process for the patient.

The authors propose that identifying such unique shapes can assist in clinical recognition. They suggest that even unusual anatomical presentations can be effectively managed through standard surgical repair, provided the diagnosis is accurately confirmed by imaging.