Mitral Valve Disease

Mayo Clinic: Mitral Valve Stenosis

Enlarge

Left untreated, mitral stenosis will damage the heart, cause irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure or other serious complications, including stroke, heart infection, pulmonary edema (water on the lungs) and blood clots.

Within a day, a team of heart valve disease specialists at Mayo Clinic coordinates the patient's diagnosis to provide a complete examination, diagnosis and extensive patient education — from patients who want to have a heart murmur checked out to those who have been told they have advanced mitral heart valve disease.

If surgery is indicated, a cardiac surgeon meets with the patient to thoroughly discuss surgical options and, in most cases, can perform the surgery the following day — if that is the patient's preference. Because Mayo Clinic is a major medical center that conducts clinical trials and research on various aspects of heart valve disease, some patients may be eligible to participate in trials or take part in research programs at Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of mitral stenosis depend on how severely and quickly the condition develops. Some people never develop symptoms. However, mild problems can suddenly get worse. Signs and symptoms of mitral stenosis include:

• Shortness of breath, especially with physical exertion (exercise) or when the person lies down
• Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity
• Swollen feet or ankles
• Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat
• Dizziness or fainting spells
• Frequent respiratory infections, such as bronchitis
• Heavy coughing, sometimes with blood-tinged sputum
• Rarely, chest discomfort or chest pain

Causes

The narrowing of the mitral valve that occurs with mitral stenosis can be caused by many factors, including:

Rheumatic fever
This complication of strep throat was once a common childhood illness in the United States. It can damage the mitral valve, leading to mitral stenosis later in life. Rheumatic fever can damage the mitral valve in two ways. The infection may cause the leaflets of the valve to thicken, limiting the valve's ability to open. This results in narrowing of the valve (mitral stenosis). The infection may cause the leaflets of the mitral valve to fuse together, preventing the valve from closing tightly and leading to regurgitation. People who have had rheumatic fever may have both mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation. Many older adults in the United States were exposed to rheumatic fever as children. Rheumatic fever is still prevalent in underdeveloped countries.

Congenital heart defect
Some infants are born with a narrowed mitral valve and develop mitral stenosis early in life. Babies born with this problem usually require heart surgery to correct the valve. Others are born with a malformed mitral valve that puts them at risk of developing mitral stenosis when they're older.