Mitral valve diseases: Pathophysiology and interventions

Valvular heart disease is common and increasingly prevalent among the elderly. The end result of valvular pathologies is cardiac failure and can lead to sudden death; thus, diagnosis and interventions are very important in the early stages of these diseases. The usual treatment methods of mitral regurgitation include percutaneous mitral valve repair, mitral valve replacement and minimally invasive surgery, whereas the treatment methods of mitral stenosis include percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy and mitral commissurotomy as well as open surgical repair. Nonetheless, ongoing clinical trials are a clear indicator that the management of valve diseases is ever evolving. The focus of this paper is on the various pathologies of the mitral valve, their etiology and clinical management, offering a comprehensive view of mitral valve diseases.