[Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function in mitral valve prolapse]

Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricle functions was performed in 52 cases with idiopathic prolapse of mitral valve, confirmed on the base of the simultaneous presence of the well known auscultatory, phonocardiographic and echocardiographic criteria. Mitral prolapse was established not to be a homogenous group as regards left ventricle function. The majority of the cases (80.7%) had normal EchoC-indices for the pump and total and local contraction function of left ventricle. The cases without (25%) or with light stage (55.7%) mitral regurgitation are included here. In the presence of hemodynamic significant mitral insufficiency -- 13.5% of the cases. EchoC-manifestations for volume left-ventricle loading were found -- enlarged telediastolic dimension and volume of the left ventricle cavity, light hypertrophy and hypercontractility of the interventricular septum and/or the unattached posterior wall of left ventricle, enlarged left ventricle, increased velocity of EF-segment of the anterior mitral cusp. As a rule, a moderate mitral regurgitation is concerned in those cases. In a small number of cases with mitral prolapse (5.8%) EchoC-manifestations for a light to moderate pump and general and/or local contraction function of left ventricle was established without clinical data for a stasis in left ventricle cardiac insufficiency. Grounds exist to admit that in the last cases, a rather not severe local or more diffuse lesion of the left ventricle myocardium is concerned, its relationship with the mitral valve prolapse remaining obscure.