Clinical Study of Healthy Young Men with Mitral Valve Prolapse

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mitral valve prolapse(MVP) is now recognized as noe of the most common cardiovascular disorders, particularly in young women with a slender body habitus. However, there is little clinical information about young men with mitral valve prolapse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical and echocardiographic characteristics of young men about 20 years old with mitral valve prolapse. METHOD: Twenty young men with mitral valve prolapse(MVP graoup, mean age ; 19.9±2.4 years) and twenty healthy volunteers(control group, mean age ; 19.9±3.2 years) were examined using physical examination, chest X-ray, computed thoracic tomography and two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. RESULTS: Compared with control group, MVP group had a smaller chest circumference(p < 0.001), a larger height-arm span difference(p < 0.01), smaller anteroposterior chest diameters(by chest X-ray ; p < 0.001 and computed tomography ; p < 0.01) and smaller anteroposterior/transverse chest diameter ratio(chet X-ray ; p < 0.01 and computed tomography ; p < 0.05). In MVP group, mitral regurgitation was noted 15 men(75%), those had posteriorly directed jets suggesting anterior mitral leaflet anomalies. CONCLUSION: Healthy young men having mitral valve prolapse had narrow chest and slender physical characteristics and anterior mitral leaflet abnormalities.