The World Health Organization restricts the use of the term “dilated cardiomyopathy” to diseases of unknown cause that primarily involve the myocardium. The term “idiopathic cardiomyopathy” would be more accurate to define a myocardial disease with no discernible cause using…
The term “ischemic valvular disease” defines valve regurgitation due to ventricular ischemia or ventricular infarction is classified by the term “ischemic valvular disease.” This definition excludes preexisting valvular diseases in patients presenting with coronary artery disease. The leaflet tissue often…
Despite all the progress made in antimicrobial therapy, bacterial endocarditis remains a “malignant disease,” as defined by Sir William Osler in the pre-antibiotic era. This is attributable to the difficulty of establishing its diagnosis as a result of its late…
Extensive calcification of the mitral valve annulus is a pathological entity that may or may not be associated with other mitral valve diseases. In its most characteristic configuration, it forms a semilunar deposit of calcium within the posterior annulus with…
Degenerative valvular diseases are the main cause of mitral valve dysfunction in developed countries today and the “pain quotidien” * * See Glossary . of the valvular surgeon. They are also the source of regrettable confusion; this is because they…
Before 1950 rheumatic fever was one of the most common epidemics in the world, with considerable socioeconomic consequences. As an example, acute rheumatic fever was the most common cause of draft rejection in the United States Armed Forces during World…
Tricuspid valve malformations are very rare. The most frequent is the anomaly described by Ebstein in 1866, which represents only 0.5% of patients with congenital heart disease. Other tricuspid valve malformations are exceptional. They include annular dilatation, papillary muscle elongation,…
Mitral valvular malformations are rare, diverse, and complex. They are often associated with other cardiac or great vessel anomalies that may hide or be hidden by the valvular malformation. They may also be encountered as a persisting anomaly when other,…
Several repair techniques have been described to correct aortic valve dysfunction. In contrast to mitral valve repair techniques, few of them have become the gold standard because of the unpredictability of their results. This is primarily attributable to the small…
The same diseases that affect the mitral and tricuspid valves may also affect the aortic valve. According to the pathophysiological triad ( Table 21-1 ), a clear distinction should be made between etiology, lesions, and dysfunctions. TABLE 21-1 Pathophysiological Triad…