Abstract:
Mitral valve prolapse continues to arouse considerable interest because of its worldwide
prevalence, lack of unanimity in diagnostic criteria, and association with such potentially
serious complications as angina-like chest pain, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden death,
progressive mitral regurgitation, cerebral embolism, and infective endocarditis. This review
includes a discussion of the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse around the world, a critical
review of the diagnostic criteria, and a discussion of the pathophysiology of the important
complications, with special emphasis on cardiac arrhythmias.
