Letter to the EditorDysfunction of a bileaflet mechanical valve in mitral position: Absence of symptoms despite a completely fixed leaflet
Review articleOpen access
2009/06/26 Short communication DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2008.04.017
Journal: International Journal of Cardiology
Abstract:
AbstractWe report the case of 62 year-old asymptomatic woman with a bileaflet mechanical prosthesis implanted 1 year ago. Routine transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed that one leaflet was fixed in semi-closed position, which was confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and cinefluoroscopy. The paradoxical absence of symptoms despite a complete restriction of one leaflet may be due to the fact that this patient had a very small body surface area and received a prosthesis with an excellent hemodynamic performance. The presence of a large compliant left atrial chamber may have also contributed to limit the effects of valve dysfunction on the pulmonary circulation.
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