Double orifice mitral valve: a report of two cases

Double orifice mitral valve is rarely reported; and no report of it was encountered in medical literature from Nigeria.

To document the existence of double orifice mitral valve co-existing with situs in versus in our environment.

Two young men who were initially diagnosed as cases of rheumatic mitral incompetence presented for echocardiography. The investigation was for the purpose of confirming the clinical diagnosis, and to determine the functional states. They both underwent 2D and M mode echocardiographic assessment.

At echocardiography, both cases turned out to have double orifice mitral valves. There were two orifices between the left atria and ventricles on gross appearance at 2 D echo; with multiple M shaped mitral valve tracings on M mode echo. The second case in addition, had situs in versus discovered on Chest X-ray and confirmed on abdominal ultrasonography.

Rare as it seems, double orifice mitral valve also occurs in our environment. It can also co-exist with situs in versus as a congenital abnormality. Since it is surgically remediable, all children with cardiac murmurs should be availed of echocardiography for diagnosis and early treatment to avert cardiac dysfunction.