Is the mitral prolapse always myxomatous?

[PathFinder]

What do you think? Once I asked one of my cardiologists, whether my little MVP is myxomatous. He answered, that the myxomatous tissue may well be seen on echocardiography and mine doesn't show these signs.

How do you thing about?

Ivo

 

[Freddie]

Interesting question...........if I only knew what you were talking about

Is this something I should be concerned about too??

 

[catwoman]

Ivo:

My MV was myxomatous, and I do not think they knew that just from echoes. I didn't have a heart cath until the day before my surgery and the first TEE was done in the operating room, just before they opened me up.

Myxomatous tissue is degenerative tissue. I found one website that said MVP often leads to tissue degeneration, but I don't know if that's authoritative.

 

[Marty]

MVP myxomatous degeneration

MVP myxomatous degeneration

What do you think? Once I asked one of my cardiologists, whether my little MVP is myxomatous. He answered, that the myxomatous tissue may well be seen on echocardiography and mine doesn't show these signs.

How do you thing about?


Ivo, let me complement you on your English. I, like you, had MVP when in my
20's I did well until my early 70's when I developed ruptured chordae tendinae and severe regurgitation. At surgery my surgeon found myxomatous degeneration so bad he couldn't do a repair, so he put in a St.Jude mechanical valve. It has served me well-10 years coming up in September.
Now, to answer your question, I think a small minority MVP will eventually proceed to regurgitation and myxomatous degeneration. As far as I know myxomatous degeneration can not be diagnosed by echo.Now that you have been diagnosed MVP I would advise an echo every year or so. A good cardiologist should listen to your heart for a change in heart sounds and/or signs of regurgitation.Don't let this diagnosis make you neurotic you very likely will never develop regurgitation or need surgery.

 

[Adrienne]

Although my MV was myxomatous, I really don't know how many people with MVP have myxomatous tissue. However, I do know that only a small minority ever get to the point where they need surgery (I'm just lucky I guess ).

 

[aussigal]

Myxomatous is the medical word they use to describe tissue that has a spongy/mucous like appearance and texture. I actually have a sample of my valve and aortic tissue and to my untrained eye it looks pretty normal. I also do not know if it is able to be diagnosed via an echo although I imagine very experienced technicians and Cardios can probably tell if it looks like a possibility. My own myxomatous tissue was diagnosed from a tissue sample taken at the time of my AVR. From memory,I think myxomatous tissue is part of the Connective Tissue Disorder and is something that develops over time.

 

[debster913]

No, in my estimation. Most people who have MVP just have a "floppy" valve that doesn't close correctly, but myxomatous means "degenerative," so those, like myself, who have had myxomatous MVP have had repairs/replacements.

It's the other 95% of MVPers who end up not needing surgery to correct the valve, but degenerative valves always, at some point, end up requiring surgery. I had no idea myself until I was 15; I just thought that I just had a simple leaky valve.