A new diagnostic criteria of mitral valve prolapse syndrome

The diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) should depend on the presence of significant mitral regurgitation or mitral complex abnormality as far as MVP is a diseased status. Concerning the echocardiographic diagnosis, the site of prolapse is difficult to determine correctly. In this study, Doppler color flow mapping was used to detect mitral regurgitation, and to decide the site of prolapse. Our new criteria of MVP include: (1) Phonocardiographic or auscultatory findings suggestive of mitral regurgitation or mitral complex abnormality. (2) A systolic bulging or an apparent systolic ballooning of the mitral valve by two-dimensional echocardiography. (3) A mitral regurgitant signal with an acceleration flow at the site of prolapse by Doppler color flow mapping.