Introduction: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common finding in everyday clinical practice. However, despite simple diagnostics, clinicians remain interested in it due to its undetermined prevalence, various etiology, clinical features and echocardiographic findings.
Etiology and prevalence: MVP exists as a primary condition and is commonly associated with tissue diseases of familial origin. It is more common in people with asthenic constitution and congenital thoracic abnormalities. Secondary etiology occurs in rheumatic processes on mitral valve, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease. The prevalence varies between 0.33-17%.
Diagnosis and complications: Clinical manifestations are different and in most patients asymptomatic. The diagnosis is established by anamnesis, physical examination, M-mode and 2-dimen-sional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, left ventriculography and direct histopathologic investigation of mitral apparatus. Although MVP is a benign condition, there are certain complications such as infective endocarditis, severe mitral regurgitation, heart failure, cerebral and coronary embolism events, arrhythmias and sudden death. Complications mostly occur in patients with heart murmurs and mitral insufficiency in contrast to patients with cusps.