[Scoliosis and mitral valve prolapse. An epidemiological and etiopathogenetic screening (author's transl)]

The Authors have developed an epidemiologic screening among 299 subjects girl's secondary school (average 16.5 years) to verify the incidence of idiopathic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and associated thoracic-skeletal abnormalities in young female people. The MVP was assessed in 10 subjects (3.3%), scoliosis in 41 subjects (13.7%). The MVP incidence among scoliotic subjects was 19.5% (8 among 41). To verify a possible common systemic connective tissue disorder between scoliosis and MVP, three groups of subjects (control, scoliosis, MVP), were visited by orthopedist, considering the incidence of following clinic parameters: recurvated knee, flat or valgus foot, pectus excavatum, lofty scapulas, joint and skin laxity. A significative increasing incidence of these parameters was found from the control group to the MVP group. Considering these parameters as index of a probable systemic connective tissue disorder, the hypothesis of a mesenchimal etiopathogenesis of MVP is confirmed.