Mitral valve prolapse and panic attacks

Patients complaining of recurrent spontaneous panic attacks (RSPA) are frequently seen in emergency rooms and psychiatric outpatient services. The symptomatology of RSPA suggests some underlying cardiac pathology. Recent publications in the psychiatric literature have reported a high incidence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in patients complaining of RSPA. In our study we report a 39% incidence of MVP in a psychiatric population with RSPA. The importance of this finding is yet to be determined.