Hypoplasia of the posterior mitral valve leaflet: Don't forget to look beyond the mitral valve

Echocardiography. 2021 Jan;38(1):142-143. doi: 10.1111/echo.14910. Epub 2020 Oct 26.

Abstract

Hypoplasia of the posterior mitral valve leaflet (PMVL) is a very rare finding in adulthood and can coexist with other congenital heart defects. In this image, a transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) carried out on a 59-year-old woman with a 2-month history of dyspnea revealed a hypoplastic PMVL causing severe mitral regurgitation associated with a secundum-type atrial septal defect (ASD) with left-to-right shunting. This case demonstrates how essential 3-dimensional TOE is for a comprehensive assessment of the mitral valve and to improve the diagnostic accuracy of concomitant congenital heart abnormalities.

Keywords: congenital heart disease; echocardiography; mitral regurgitation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Echocardiography, Transesophageal
  • Female
  • Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* / complications
  • Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitral Valve / diagnostic imaging
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency* / diagnostic imaging
  • Mitral Valve Prolapse*