How Is Mitral Valve Prolapse Diagnosed?
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is most often found
during a routine physical exam when your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to
your heart. Your doctor listens for a certain "click" and/or
murmur.
Stretched valve flaps, as seen in MVP, can make a clicking sound as they shut.
If the valve is leaking blood back into the atrium, a murmur or whooshing sound
can often be heard. However, these abnormal heart sounds may come and go, so
they may not be heard at the time of an exam, even if you have MVP. As a
result, diagnostic tests and procedures may also be needed to diagnose MVP.
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
Echocardiogram
An
echocardiogram is the most useful test for diagnosing MVP.
This test uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart. An
echocardiogram provides information about the size and shape of your heart and
how well your heart chambers and valves are functioning. The test also can
identify areas of poor blood flow to the heart, areas of heart muscle that are
not contracting normally, and previous injury to the heart muscle caused by
poor blood flow. The echocardiogram is a painless test that's used to look for
prolapse of the mitral valve flaps and for backflow (regurgitation) of blood
through the leaky valve.
There are several different types of
echocardiograms, including a stress echocardiogram. During this test, an
echocardiogram is done both before and after your heart is stressed either by
having you exercise or by injecting a medicine into your bloodstream that makes
your heart beat faster and work harder. A stress echocardiogram is usually done
to find out if you have decreased blood flow to your heart (coronary
artery disease).
Echocardiography also can be performed through your
esophagus (the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach) to get a closer
look at the mitral valve. A tiny probe in your esophagus takes sound wave
pictures of your heart. This form of echocardiogram is called a transesophageal
echocardiogram, or TEE.
Doppler Ultrasound
A Doppler
ultrasound is part of the echocardiogram test. The Doppler
ultrasound is used to show the speed and direction of blood flow through the
mitral valve.
Other Tests
Other tests that can help diagnose MVP are:
- A
chest
x ray, which is used to look for fluid in your lungs or to see if your
heart is enlarged.
- An
EKG
(electrocardiogram), which charts the electrical activity of your heart. The
EKG can show abnormal heartbeats, damage to the heart muscle, and enlargement
of the heart.
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