Cardiac valvulopathy

Cardiac Valvulopathy

Cardiac valvulopathy refers to any disease or dysfunction of one or more of the heart's valves. The heart contains four valves: the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic valve, and pulmonary valve. These valves ensure unidirectional blood flow through the heart's chambers and into the major arteries. Valvulopathy can lead to significant cardiovascular complications if not diagnosed and managed appropriately.

Types of Cardiac Valvulopathy

Cardiac valvulopathy can be classified into two main types based on the functional impairment of the valve:

Stenosis

Stenosis refers to the narrowing of a heart valve, which restricts blood flow. This condition can lead to increased pressure in the heart chamber behind the affected valve. Common examples include aortic stenosis and mitral stenosis.

Regurgitation

Regurgitation, also known as insufficiency or incompetence, occurs when a valve does not close properly, allowing blood to flow backward. This can lead to volume overload in the heart chamber behind the affected valve. Examples include mitral regurgitation and aortic regurgitation.

Causes

Cardiac valvulopathy can result from various causes, including:

• Congenital defects: Some individuals are born with malformed valves, such as bicuspid aortic valve.
• Rheumatic fever: A complication of untreated streptococcal pharyngitis that can lead to rheumatic heart disease and valvular damage.
• Degenerative changes: Age-related calcification and thickening of the valves, particularly the aortic valve.
• Infective endocarditis: Infection of the heart valves by bacteria or fungi, leading to valve destruction.
• Connective tissue disorders: Conditions like Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can affect valve structure and function.

Symptoms

Symptoms of cardiac valvulopathy vary depending on the severity and type of valve dysfunction. Common symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath, especially during exertion
• Fatigue
• Palpitations
• Chest pain
• Swelling of the ankles and feet
• Syncope (fainting)

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of cardiac valvulopathy typically involves:

• Physical examination: Detection of heart murmurs or abnormal heart sounds.
• Echocardiography: An ultrasound of the heart that provides detailed images of valve structure and function.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): To assess heart rhythm and detect any associated arrhythmias.
• Cardiac catheterization: Invasive procedure to measure pressures within the heart chambers and assess valve function.

Treatment

Treatment options depend on the type and severity of the valvulopathy:

• Medical management: Includes medications such as diuretics, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors to manage symptoms and prevent complications.
• Surgical intervention: Valve repair or replacement may be necessary for severe cases. Options include mechanical or bioprosthetic valve replacement.
• Transcatheter procedures: Minimally invasive techniques like transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for patients who are high-risk surgical candidates.

Prognosis

The prognosis for individuals with cardiac valvulopathy varies based on the specific valve affected, the severity of the dysfunction, and the presence of comorbid conditions. Early diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial for improving outcomes.

Also see

• Heart valve disease
• Aortic stenosis
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Infective endocarditis

Cardiovascular disease A-Z

Most common cardiac diseases

• Cardiac arrhythmia‎
• Cardiogenetic disorders‎
• Cardiomegaly‎
• Cardiomyopathy‎
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation‎
• Chronic rheumatic heart diseases‎
• Congenital heart defects‎
• Heart neoplasia‎
• Ischemic heart diseases‎
• Pericardial disorders
• Syndromes affecting the heart‎
• Valvular heart disease‎

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
• Acute decompensated heart failure
• Arteriosclerotic heart disease
• Athletic heart syndrome
• Atrial flutter
• Atrioventricular fistula
• Cardiovascular disease in Australia
• Autoimmune heart disease

B

• Brown atrophy of the heart

C

• Ebb Cade
• Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiac asthma
• Cardiac tamponade
• Cardiogenic shock
• Cardiogeriatrics
• Cardiorenal syndrome
• Cardiotoxicity
• Carditis
• Coronary artery aneurysm
• Coronary artery anomaly
• Coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Coronary artery ectasia
• Coronary occlusion
• Coronary steal
• Coronary thrombosis
• Coronary vasospasm
• Cœur en sabot
• Coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy

D

• Duke Treadmill Score
• Duroziez's disease

E

• Eisenmenger's syndrome
• Embryocardia
• Endocardial fibroelastosis
• Eosinophilic myocarditis

H

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• Heart to Heart (1949 film)
• High-output heart failure
• Hyperdynamic precordium

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

I

• Idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis
• Interventricular dyssynchrony
• Intraventricular dyssynchrony
• Isolated atrial amyloidosis

K

• Keshan disease

L

• Loeffler endocarditis

M

• Mydicar
• Myocardial bridge
• Myocardial disarray
• Myocardial rupture
• Myocardial scarring
• Myocardial stunning
• Myocarditis

N

• Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

O

• OLR1
• Ostial disease

P

• Papillary fibroelastoma
• Pathophysiology of heart failure
• Postpericardiotomy syndrome
• Pulmonary vein stenosis

R

• Right axis deviation
• Roemheld syndrome

S

• Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease
• SCAR-Fc
• Shone's syndrome
• Strain pattern
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Sudden cardiac death of athletes

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

T

• Traumatic cardiac arrest

V

• Ventricular aneurysm
• Vibroacoustic disease
• Viral cardiomyopathy

W

• Waon therapy