ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease is one of the major health problems all over the world. Yemen is one of the least developed countries in the Gulf and cardiovascular diseases contribute a big economic burden. Echocardiography has revolutionized the practice of cardiology and its role as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for both congenital and acquired cardiac lesions, however complex is well established. Along with 2-D, M mode and Doppler. New echocardiographic modalities like stress Echo, tissue Doppler, harmonic imaging and contrast echocardiography are also emerging in Yemen. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of both organic and functional mitral regurgitation [MR] by echocardiography in our population. Using Sonos 1000 and 5500 HP Echocardiography machines, all the cases of MR diagnosed over the past 6 months in Al-Thawra Modern Teaching Hospital, Sana'a, were retrospectively reviewed. Mitral regurgitation was classified as organic if the mitral apparatus was found to be abnormal, and functional in the case of MR with a normal looking mitral valve. A total of thirteen hundred and thirty cases of MR were diagnosed during the study period. The mean age was 44.7 years with a standard deviation [SD] of +/- 19.4 and the age group of 51-60 years was the dominant group making up 20.8%. Mitral regurgitation was slightly more common in males than females with 56.5% vs 43.5%. Functional MR was slightly more common than organic [51 .7% vs 48.3%]. Rheumatic heart disease [22.9%] was the most common cause of organic MR while Mitral valve prolapse was only found in 6.3% of this group. Hypertensive heart disease 21 .7% was the most frequent etiology of functional MR. On the basis of severity, mild MR was the diagnosis in 65.5%, trivial in 15.4%, moderate in 12.9% and severe MR was found in 5.7%