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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Mitral-valve prolapse is a common cardiac valvular disorder with a wide range of severity and diverse clinical outcomes. The lack of a standard definition of mitral-valve prolapse may explain the variation in reported complication rates. To identify high-risk and low-risk subgroups, we retrospectively analyzed clinical and two-dimensional echocardiographic data from 456 patients with mitral-valve prolapse. Mitral-valve prolapse was defined on the basis of echocardiographic findings as systolic displacement into the left atrium of one or both leaflets beyond the plane of the mitral annulus in the parasternal long-axis view. Two groups of patients were compared: those with thickening of the mitral-valve leaflets and redundancy (designated the classic form; n = 319) and those without leaflet thickening (designated the nonclassic form; n = 137). The two groups were similar in age and sex ratio. Complications or a history of complications was more prevalent in the classic than the nonclassic form: infective endocarditis, 3.5 percent and 0 percent, respectively (P less than 0.02); moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation, 12 percent and 0 percent (P less than 0.001); and the need for mitral-valve replacement, 6.6 percent and 0.7 percent (P less than 0.02). However, the frequency of stroke was similar in the two groups: 7.5 percent and 5.8 percent (P not significant). We conclude that in a selected population of patients with mitral-valve prolapse, those with the classic form (leaflet thickening and redundancy) are at higher risk than those without these features for the infectious and hemodynamic complications of mitral-valve prolapse, but not for stroke.
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PMID:Identification of high-risk and low-risk subgroups of patients with mitral-valve prolapse. 292 82

Aortic stenosis due to calcific degeneration is the most common valvular disorder among the elderly. With the growing elderly population, the prevalence of this disease will continue to increase. Based on converging lines of evidence linking calcific aortic stenosis with atherosclerosis, there has been interest in drug therapy to slow the progression of aortic stenosis. Unfortunately, recently completed prospective trials have been disappointing. Mechanical measures remain the principal form of therapy. Among percutaneous techniques, aortic valvuloplasty provides only transient and modest benefit at a significant risk of stroke and vascular injury. However, aortic valvuloplasty can play a useful role in stabilizing patients who require additional attention prior to definitive surgery. Building on this foundation, a bold new technique of percutaneously implanting a balloon-mounted valve has been developed. Although promising, there have been relatively few patients treated in this fashion (at a single center) and with only limited follow-up. Surgical treatment, specifically valve replacement, is still the definitive treatment of choice for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis. Surgeons and patients must choose between a variety of models of both tissue and mechanical valves and a variety of surgical approaches. Recent trends include the use of tissue valves in increasingly younger patients and continued interest in alternatives to full median sternotomy in approaching the valve.
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PMID:Percutaneous and surgical treatment of aortic stenosis. 1650 16