Acute Mitral Regurgitaion Initially Misdiagnosed As Pneumonia: A Case Report

Heart failure due to acute mitral regurgitation (MR) may present with atypical findings on physical examination and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), making the diagnosis difficult. A 72-year-old male was transferred to our hospital with severe cardiorespiratory failure and was initially suspected to have severe pneumonia based on the acute onset and imaging findings. The patient was eventually diagnosed with acute heart failure secondary to MR. Acute MR can be a fatal disease; clinicians should consider it in the setting of severe respiratory and circulatory failure as it can mimic severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).