Mitral valve prolapse

Cardiac and Non-Cardiac Chest Wall Pain

The various causes of anterior chest wall pain are reviewed with particular reference to the clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease (CAD), costochondritis and the myofascial pain syndrome.

Attention is drawn to the manner in which myofascial pain syndrome in the anterior chest wall may arise as a result of primary trauma or anxiety-induced activation of myofascial trigger point (MTrP) nociceptors and also as a result of the secondary activation of MTrPs situated in a zone of cardiac pain referral, and how myofascial pain syndrome may develop in patients with mitral valve prolapse.

It is explained that, because of an appreciable incidence of concomitant costochondritis and CAD pain and of MTrP and CAD pain, and because dry needling in both myofascial pain syndrome and costochondritis may relieve underlying CAD pain, it is not infrequently necessary in cases of anterior chest wall pain to carry out a detailed cardiological assessment including electrocardiographic exercise testing and radionuclide cineangiography.

Mitral valve prolapse in autoimmune thyroid disease: an index of systemic autoimmunity?

A coexistence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) has been described, but there are not sufficient data to explain this association. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of MVP in patients with AITD and to evaluate whether any correlation between MVP and certain immunological parameters exists. M-mode, two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography was performed in 29 patients with Graves' disease (GD), 35 with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), 20 with nonautoimmune goiter, and 30 normal controls. Serum samples were examined for antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antibodies against extractable nuclear antigen (ENA), antiphospholipid antibodies (aCL), rheumatoid factor (RF), thyroid autoantibodies (TAAb), immunoglobulins and C3, C4. Eight of 29 GD patients and 8 of 35 HT patients had MVP, while none of the control group and 2 of 20 of the simple goiter group had MVP (p < 0.05). ANA were detected at low titers in 5 of 8 in MVP(+) GD versus 3 of 21 in MVP(-) GD (p < 0.05). In the HT group the MVP(+) patients had a significantly higher incidence of ANA and ENA, 5 of 8 and 2 of 8 versus 5 of 27 and 0 of 27 of MVP(-) patients, respectively, p < 0.05. A statistically significant higher incidence of aCL was found in HT MVP(+) patients. (3/8) versus HT MVP(-) 1/27, p < 0.05. RF levels (immunoglobulin A [IgA]) were significantly higher in MVP(+) patients. The association of MVP with nonorgan-specific autoantibodies indicates that MVP may also be an autoimmune disease. It is possible that patients with AITD who also have MVP may be at an increased risk to develop systemic autoimmunity.

Increased dispersion of refractoriness in the absence of QT prolongation in patients with mitral valve prolapse and ventricular arrhythmias

BACKGROUND

The mechanism responsible for the reported high incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in mitral valve prolapse is not clear. Electrocardiographic studies show an increased occurrence of repolarisation abnormalities on the 12 lead surface electrocardiogram, indicating regional differences in ventricular recovery. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dispersion of refractoriness was an arrhythmogenic mechanism.

METHODS

QT dispersion was measured in 32 patients with echocardiographically documented mitral valve prolapse and ventricular arrhythmias on 24 hour Holter recordings. QT dispersion was defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum average QT interval in any of the 12 leads of the surface electrocardiogram. QT dispersion corrected for heart rate was calculated by Bazett's formula. The results were compared with the data from 32 matched controls without a history of cardiac disease. Patients taking drugs that influence the QT interval and patients with a QRS duration > 120 ms were excluded.

RESULTS

QT dispersion was greater in patients with mitral valve prolapse than in matched controls (60 (20) v 39 (11 ms) respectively, P < or = 0.001) as was corrected QT (64 (20 ms) v 43 (12 ms) respectively, P < or = 0.001). There was no significant difference in minimum or maximum QT intervals between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

QT dispersion on the 12 lead surface electrocardiogram was greater in patients with mitral valve prolapse with ventricular arrhythmias than in normal controls, but the maximum QT interval was not increased. The results accord with the hypothesis that regional shortening and lengthening of repolarisation times in patients with mitral valve prolapse may account for the increased dispersion of refractoriness.