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Prevalence and correlates of mitral valve prolapse in a population-based sample of American Indians: the Strong Heart Study.

PURPOSE: Mitral valve prolapse is heritable and occurs frequently in the general population despite associations with mitral regurgitation and infective endocarditis, suggesting that selective advantages might be associated with mitral valve prolapse. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Clinical examination and 2-dimensional and color Doppler echocardiography were performed in 3340 American Indian participants in the Strong Heart Study. RESULTS: Mitral valve prolapse (clear-cut billowing of one or both mitral leaflets across the mitral anular plane in 2-dimensional parasternal long-axis recordings or >2-mm late systolic posterior displacement of mitral leaflets by M mode) occurred in 37 (1.8%) of 2077 women and 20 (1.6%) of 1263 men (P = 0.88); 32 (3.5%) of 907 patients with normal glucose tolerance, 11 (2.3%) of 486 patients with impaired glucose tolerance, and 13 (0.7%) of 1735 patients with diabetes (P <0.0001). Participants with mitral valve prolapse had lower mean (+/- SD) body mass index (28 +/- 5 kg/m(2) vs. 31 +/- 6 kg/m(2), P = 0.001) and blood pressure (124/71 +/- 19/10 mm Hg vs. 130/75 +/- 21/10 mm Hg, P <0.05), as well as lower levels of fasting glucose, triglycerides, serum creatinine, and log urine albumin/creatinine ratio (all P <0.001), than did those without mitral valve prolapse, although all subjects were similar in age (60 +/- 8 years). Participants with mitral valve prolapse had lower ventricular septal (0.87 +/- 0.08 cm vs. 0.93 +/- 0.13 cm) and posterior wall thicknesses (0.82 +/- 0.08 cm vs. 0.87 +/- 0.10 cm), mass (38 +/- 7 g/m(2.7) vs. 42 +/- 11 g/m(2.7)), and relative wall thickness (0.33 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.35 +/- 0.05), and increased stress-corrected midwall shortening (all P <0.01). Mitral valve prolapse was associated with a higher prevalence of mild (16 of 57 [28%] vs. 614 of 3283 [19%]) and more severe mitral regurgitation (5 of 57 [9%] vs. 48 of 3283 [1%], P <0.0001). Regression analyses showed prolapse was associated with low ventricular relative wall thickness, high midwall function, and low urine albumin/creatinine ratio, independent of age, sex, body mass index, and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Mitral valve prolapse is fairly common and is strongly associated with mitral regurgitation in the general population. However, it is also associated with lower body weight, blood pressure, and prevalence of diabetes; a more favorable metabolic profile and ventricular geometry; and better myocardial and renal function.

Aged↗

Laparoscopic suture hysteropexy for uterine prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: Vaginal hysterectomy remains the accepted surgical treatment for women with uterine prolapse. The Manchester repair is favored in women wishing uterine preservation. Vaginal hysterectomy alone fails to address the pathologic cause of the uterine prolapse. The Manchester repair has a high failure rate and may cause difficulty sampling the cervix and uterus in the future. The laparoscopic suture hysteropexy offers physiologic repair of uterine prolapse. METHOD: At the laparoscopic suture hysteropexy, the pouch of Douglas is closed and the uterosacral ligaments are plicated and reattached to the cervix. RESULTS: Forty-three women with symptomatic uterine prolapse were prospectively evaluated and underwent laparoscopic suture hysteropexy with a mean follow-up of 12 +/- 7 months (range 6-32). The mean operating time for the laparoscopic suture hysteropexy alone was 42 +/- 15 minutes (range 22-121), and the mean blood loss was less than 50 mL. On review, 35 women (81%) had no symptoms of prolapse and 34 (79%) had no objective evidence of uterine prolapse. Two women subsequently completed term pregnancies and were without prolapse. Both underwent elective cesarean delivery. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic suture hysteropexy is effective and safe in the management of symptomatic uterine prolapse. The result is physiologically correct, without disfiguring the cervix. This may be an appropriate procedure for women with uterine prolapse wishing uterine preservation.

Adult↗

Effect of genital prolapse on assessment of bladder neck mobility by the Q-tip test.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of vaginal prolapse and bladder fullness on Q-tip test assessment of urethral mobility. METHODS: Twenty-six women with genital prolapse to or beyond the hymen and undergoing urodynamics for urogynecologic dysfunction were assessed by the Q-tip test. Measurements were obtained with the bladder empty, with and without the prolapse reduced by the posterior blade of a Graves speculum. Angles were repeated at bladder capacity. Measured Q-tip angles were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Q-tip angles were significantly altered by vaginal prolapse and bladder fullness. With an empty bladder, the median Q-tip angle measured with the prolapse reduced was significantly less than that measured without reduction (53 degrees, interquartile range 25-65, versus 68 degrees, interquartile range 45-75; P <.001). With a full bladder, similar but lesser results were obtained (33 degrees, interquartile range 15-55 [reduced] versus 48 degrees, interquartile range 31-60 [unreduced]; P <.001). The median Q-tip angle with an empty bladder was greater than that with a full bladder. With the prolapse reduced, the Q-tip angle was 53 degrees (interquartile range 25-65) with an empty bladder versus 33 degrees (interquartile range 15-55) with a full bladder (P <.001). Without the prolapse reduced, the median Q-tip angle was 68 degrees (interquartile range 45-75) with an empty bladder and 48 degrees (interquartile range 31-60) with a full bladder (P <.001). CONCLUSION? Measurement of urethral mobility by the Q-tip test is significantly affected by genital prolapse. Q-tip angles are less with the reduction of vaginal prolapse and with the bladder full. Standardization of measurement technique is necessary for the development of clinical management recommendations.

Female↗

Pelvic organ prolapse in the Women's Health Initiative: gravity and gravidity.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of and correlates for pelvic organ prolapse. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional analysis of women who enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Replacement Therapy Clinical Trial (n = 27,342 women). Baseline questionnaires ascertained demographics and personal habits. A baseline pelvic examination assessed uterine prolapse, cystocele, and rectocele. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to investigate factors that were associated with pelvic organ prolapse. RESULTS: In the 16,616 women with a uterus, the rate of uterine prolapse was 14.2%; the rate of cystocele was 34.3%; and the rate of rectocele was 18.6%. For the 10,727 women who had undergone hysterectomy, the prevalence of cystocele was 32.9% and of rectocele was 18.3%. After controlling for age, body mass index, and other health/physical variables, African American women demonstrated the lowest risk for prolapse. Hispanic women had the highest risk for uterine prolapse. Parity and obesity were strongly associated with increased risk for uterine prolapse, cystocele, and rectocele. CONCLUSION: Pelvic organ prolapse is a common condition in older women. The risk for prolapse differs between ethnic groups, which suggests that the approaches to risk-factor modification and prevention may also differ. These data will help address the gynecologic needs of diverse populations.

Black or African American↗

Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging assessment of levator ani morphologic features in different grades of prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: The study was undertaken to identify the morphologic changes in the levator ani in different grades of prolapse by using reconstructed three-dimensional models of magnetic resonance images (MRI) and to subclassify prolapse into different categories on the basis of their levator ani morphologic characteristics. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-one women were studied, 8 women in stage I, 15 women in stage II, 22 women in stage III, 7 women in stage IV prolapse, and 9 asymptomatic volunteers with stage 0 prolapse. Axial, sagittal, and coronal T2-weighted pelvic magnetic resonance scans were obtained with the patient in the supine position. The three-dimensional models were reconstructed from the source images by using manual segmentation and surface modeling. The morphologic characteristics of the puborectalis were assessed on these reconstructed models by measuring (1). the levator symphysis gap, (2). the width of the levator hiatus, and (3). the length of the levator hiatus. To assess the iliococcygeus, we measured (1). the maximum width of the iliococcygeus, (2). the direction of its fibers that was assessed by measuring the iliococcygeal angle, and (3) the levator plate angle. Nine nulliparous asymptomatic women were studied as controls. RESULTS: Alterations in levator ani morphologic features are not dependent on the grade of the prolapse, and not all women with pelvic floor prolapse have abnormal morphologic features. In healthy control subjects, the iliococcygeal width measured less than 40 mm and the iliococcygeal angle measured less than 20 degrees. On the basis of the MRI findings, four patterns of changes in the levator ani have been identified. Both the levator symphysis gap and the levator hiatus, which is dependent on the puborectalis function, widen with increasing grade of prolapse. CONCLUSION: It is possible to subclassify prolapse on the basis of morphologic changes in the levator ani by using MRI. This may be a very useful predictor as to which patients have recurrent prolapse develop after surgery.

Female↗

Current opinion on the classification and definition of genital tract prolapse.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There are few issues in obstetrics and gynecology that seem so readily apparent but are in actuality replete with confusion than the diagnosis of genital tract prolapse. This stems from the difficulties in defining genital tract prolapse and from the long history of turmoil regarding how to classify and describe it. In the past 5-10 years our specialty has begun to make inroads into these issues. Finally, there is an accepted classification system and because of this we are beginning to recognize what represents normal vaginal support versus genital tract prolapse. RECENT FINDINGS: In 1993 the confusion regarding the classification of genital tract prolapse was documented by a very thorough review of the literature; in response, the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system was developed. Subsequent to this, several articles have begun to define the epidemiology of genital tract prolapse and this is providing a glimpse of what differentiates pathologic genital tract prolapse from normal support. SUMMARY: We can now reliably classify and describe genital tract relaxation and imply what is normal support versus pathological genital tract prolapse. However, we still have not defined genital tract prolapse, determined its prevalence or provided the clinician with a simple and reliable means of testing for its presence or absence.

Female↗

Pelvic organ prolapse in nulliparous women and their parous sisters.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of vaginal delivery and familial factors in the development of pelvic organ prolapse by comparing the prevalence of this condition in nulliparous women and their parous sisters. METHODS: Pairs of nulliparous and parous postmenopausal sisters were recruited for assessment of pelvic organ prolapse. One hundred one sister pairs underwent clinical evaluation. Pelvic organ prolapse was recorded using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System. RESULTS: The majority of women had no pelvic organ prolapse. By compartment there was a 74.3% to 91.1% concordance in prolapse stage within sister pairs. In discordant sister pairs, the parous sister was found to have the more advanced prolapse 88% of the time. CONCLUSION: High concordance of pelvic organ prolapse in nulliparous and parous sister pairs suggests a familial predisposition toward developing this condition. However, vaginal delivery does appear to confer a risk for more advanced pelvic organ prolapse. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2.

Delivery, Obstetric↗

Incontinence and voiding difficulties associated with prolapse.

PURPOSE: Prolapse is the protrusion of a pelvic organ beyond its normal anatomical confines. It represents the failure of fibromuscular supports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MEDLINE search was done using the keywords cystocele, uterine prolapse, vault prolapse, enterocele or rectocele in combination with urinary incontinence. We reviewed 97 articles. From this material the definition, classification, incidence, symptoms and evaluation are described. RESULTS: Prolapse and urinary incontinence often occur concomitantly and cystocele, rectocele, enterocele, uterine descent or vaginal vault prolapse may also be present. The pathophysiology of prolapse encompasses direct and indirect injury, metabolic abnormalities and chronic high intra-abdominal pressure. Anterior vaginal wall prolapse may present as stress incontinence. A large cystocele may cause urethral kinking and overflow incontinence. Uterine descent can cause lower back and sacral pain. Enterocele may cause only vague symptoms of vaginal discomfort. A rectocele can lead to incomplete evacuation of stool. A thorough history and physical examination are the most important means of assessment. A voiding diary helps determine functional bladder capacity. Uroflow examination determines the average and maximum flow rates, and the shape of the curve can help identify Valsalva augmented voiding. Multichannel urodynamics or video-urodynamics with prolapse reduced can be important. The advantages of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging include excellent depiction of the soft tissues and pelvic organs, and their fluid content during various degrees of pelvic strain. To our knowledge whether it is cost-effective in this manner has not been determined. CONCLUSIONS: Correction of prolapse must aim to restore vaginal function and any concomitant urinary incontinence.

Female↗

Transvaginal sacrospinous colpopexy for vault and marked uterovaginal prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of the sacrospinous colpopexy procedure for the treatment of vault prolapse following hysterectomy and marked uterovaginal prolapse. DESIGN: A prospective study of all patients undergoing sacrospinous colpopexy for vault and marked uterovaginal prolapse between December 1991 and December 1992. SETTING: Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury. SUBJECTS: Forty women with vault prolapse following hysterectomy and 24 with marked uterovaginal prolapse. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent posterior vaginal repair, enterocele sac obliteration and sacrospinous colpopexy. In 48 patients an anterior vaginal repair with suburethral buttressing sutures was also performed. A long-needle bladder neck suspension operation (Raz procedure) was included for three women with coexistent stress incontinence. In 13 patients a vaginal hysterectomy was performed and in 11 the uterus was conserved. A postanal sacrorectopexy was performed on one patient with marked rectal prolapse. RESULTS: The mean follow up period was five months. So far, there have been three failures in the group treated for vault prolapse. One of these underwent a successful repeat sacrospinous colpopexy and repair. The main long term complication was cystocele formation. One sexually active patient complained of dyspareunia following surgery. CONCLUSION: The sacrospinous colpopexy is effective in the treatment of vault prolapse and compares favourably with abdominal vault supporting procedures. It avoids major abdominal surgery and allows the surgeon to correct coexistent cystocele and rectocele. This procedure is also a useful adjuvant when treating marked uterovaginal prolapse.

Adult↗

Collagen metabolism in the uterosacral ligaments and vaginal skin of women with uterine prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To compare tissue markers of collagen metabolism in the uterosacral ligaments with those in vaginal tissue in women with uterine prolapse. DESIGN: Prospective observational experimental study. SETTING: A tertiary urogynaecology unit. POPULATION: Women referred for hysterectomy for prolapse or benign gynaecological disease. METHODS: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 expression, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 expression and hydroxyproline content were measured in the uterosacral ligaments and vaginal tissue from 14 women with prolapse compared with 14 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Levels of MMP, TIMP and hydroxyproline in the uterosacral ligaments and vaginal tissue of women with prolapse and controls. RESULTS: Fourteen women with prolapse and 14 women without prolapse (controls) were included. A significant increase in pro MMP-2 expression was seen in vaginal tissue from women with prolapse (P < 0.05) but not activated MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2. For uterosacral ligaments, the differences were not statistically significant. No significant difference in hydroxyproline content was found between control and prolapse in either tissue. Significant correlations exist in expression of pro-MMP-2, activated MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 in vaginal tissue with that in uterosacral ligaments. CONCLUSIONS: Correlations existed between markers of collagen metabolism in the vaginal and uterosacral tissues. This suggests vaginal tissue reflects the endopelvic fascia. The changes which are more pronounced in vaginal tissue may be as a result of prolapse rather than cause.

Adult↗

Ultrasono-cardiographic diagnosis of the prolapsed mitral valve.

The characteristic ultrasono-cardiographic (UCG) findings of prolapsed mitral valve were studied in 9 cases by means of ultrasonocardiotomography (UCT). The changes in degree and shape of the prolapsed valve were examined and the leaflet involved was identified. Of the 9 cases, 5 had prolapse of anterior, 3 had that of posterior leaflet and 1 had both. In all cases with midsystolic click and late systolic murmur or pansystolic murmur with late systolic accentuation, the prolapse of anterior leaflet was observed on UCT, and though UCG disclosed midsystolic buckling it was difficult to determine the exact timing of the prolapse by UCG alone. In the cases with rheumatic mitral regurgitation, the prolapse of posterior leaflet and the ballooning of anterior leaflet could easily be found on UCT, but the detection of the above-mentioned 2 findings was difficult by UCG alone. Three of the 9 cases were found to have prolapse of posterior leaflet by left ventriculography, whereas these 3 had prolapse of anterior leaflet on UCT. Hence, the diagnosis of prolapsed mitral valve based on the cineangiography may require re-evaluation.

Adolescent↗

Mitral valve prolapse: causes, clinical manifestations, and management.

PURPOSE: To assess the causes, methods of diagnosis, clinical spectrum, and management of mitral valve prolapse. DATA IDENTIFICATION: Results of prospective study of over 800 subjects at Cornell Medical Center from 1979 to the present were used along with studies published from 1963 to 1989 identified by computerized literature searches of Index Medicus and MEDLINE, and by hand searches. STUDY SELECTION: Studies involving controlled design, longitudinal follow-up, or critical assessment of diagnostic methodology, and clinical studies or previous reviews that have contributed most to the understanding of mitral valve prolapse were selected. DATA EXTRACTION: Data concerning the causes, clinical manifestations and complications, and prevalence of mitral valve prolapse, as well as the strength of association between mitral valve prolapse and diagnostic signs, were evaluated and used to develop a practical approach to evaluating and managing patients. RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: Most instances of mitral valve prolapse are primary and inherited, with possible genetic heterogeneity. Mitral prolapse may be diagnosed by auscultation of midsystolic clicks and late-systolic murmurs that respond typically to maneuvers, or by billowing of mitral leaflets across the mitral anular plane in long-axis, two-dimensional echocardiographic views or by a late-systolic, posterior leaflet displacement of at least 2 mm in meticulously targeted M-mode recordings. Mitral valve prolapse is associated with thoracic bony abnormalities, low body weight, low blood pressure, and a modest excess of orthostatic hypotension, syncope, palpitations, and atrial arrhythmias, but not with nonspecific symptoms (atypical chest pain, dyspnea, anxiety or panic attacks). Complications of mitral valve prolapse, including about 4000 mitral valve operations, 1100 cases of endocarditis, and possibly 4000 sudden deaths per year in the United States, are concentrated disproportionately in older men, with about 5% of affected men and 1.5% of affected women ultimately requiring valve surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylaxis for endocarditis and closeness of follow-up should be related to the occurrence of the independent risk factors for complications of mitral prolapse (presence of mitral regurgitation, male gender, and age over 45 years), whereas active management and close observation are needed for severe mitral regurgitation and advanced ventricular arrhythmias.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

[Radiologic investigation of external rectal prolapse. Assessment in 48 patients with defecography, seven of them also with dynamic CT of the pelvis].

PURPOSE: To report our personal experience in 48 patients with external rectal prolapse examined with defecography, evaluating radiological signs and the indications for surgical treatment. We also report the results of 7 patients with severe prolapse submitted to dynamic CT of pelvis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The findings relative to 48 patients suffering from external prolapse, 27 women and 21 men, (mean age 58 years), were retrospectively reviewed. In our study protocol the patient is made to sit on a defecographic commode with the pelvis in lateral projection and radiographic images are acquired at rest, on contraction and on evacuation. Dynamic CT of pelvis with axial and coronal scans of the pelvic floor was carried out in 7 patients with severe prolapses. Twenty-six of 48 patients underwent rectopexy. RESULTS: The main symptoms were anorectal and perineal weight sensation (93%), perineal disturbance in the sitting position (91%) and anorectal pain extended to sacral area (83%). Manometry, which was performed in 36 cases, showed a rectoanal inhibitory reflex evokable at high volumes of air, especially in incontinent subjects. Defecography demonstrated external rectal prolapse in all cases; rectal intussusception in 32, mucosal prolapse in 30, abnormal widening of the anorectal angle in 24 (16 of them were incontinent), rectocele in 22 and perineal descent syndrome in 16 cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: External rectal prolapse is sometimes a dynamic progression of a rectal intussusception. In anorectal intussusceptions, the invaginatum involves the anal canal, thus causing the external prolapse. Defecography clearly shows the continuation of invagination out of the anus, with the formation of prolapse. Dynamic CT proved accurate in detecting the rectum morphology, but added no further information to defecography, except for the diastasis of anosphincterial muscles. Therefore, we conclude that defecography is the method of choice, though complementary to other instrumental techniques such as manometry, electromyography and endoscopy, in the diagnostic workup of these patients. Moreover, it can recognize other alterations, such as incontinence and rectocele, which can be submitted to surgical correction with rectopexy.

Adult↗

Incidence of pelvic organ prolapse in Nigerian women.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the incidence and types of utero-vaginal prolapse. METHODS: Retrospective medical records analyses of women who were subjected to reconstructive pelvic surgery for various types of pelvic relaxation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and the University Of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria was carried out. The study was conducted from January 1996 to December 1999 during which there were 7515 surgical admissions. The inclusion criteria were those women who complained of feeling a mass in the vagina with demonAstrable descent of the anterior and/or posterior and/or apical vaginal walls and/or perineal descent. Excluded were patients who had other symptoms other than utero-vaginal prolapse and those whose grades and sites of prolapse were not determinable from the clinical or surgical notes. Also excluded were patients with nerve injury or disease, connective tissue disorders and neuromuscular diseases. The subjects were divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 54 women (age < or = 40 years), and group II included 105 women (age > or = 40 years). The findings between those two groups were compared with reference to sites, types and degree of prolapse. Also, coexistence of pelvic relaxation and underlying medical conditions were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 159 subjects out of 492 charts studied met the inclusion criteria for the study. In group I, mean age was 32.839 with a standard deviation (SD) of +/- 6.012 years; and in group II the mean age was 56.543 with a SD of 8.094. Hypertrophic (elongated) cervix was determined in 15 (6.3%) subjects in group I for an incidence of 1.58% per year, cystocele (vaginal anterior wall descent) was present in 21 (8.9%) women for an incidence of 2.2% per year; rectocele (posterior vaginal wall descent) was identified in 15 (6.3%) women for an incidence of 1.58% per year; vaginal cough prolapse (apical descent) was present 21 (8.9%) women for an incidence of 2.2% per year. Perineal descent was absent in this group. In group II, there was no hypertrophic cervix; cystocele was present in 39 (16.5%) cases for an incidence of 4.13% per year; rectocele was identified in 27 (11.4%) women, amounting to an incidence of 2.85% per year; vaginal cough prolapse was present in 36 (15.%) women, an incidence of 3.75% per year; perineal descent was present in 63 (25.6%) women, for an incidence of 6.4% per year. CONCLUSION: (1) The incidence of hypertrophic cervix without any other abnormality amounted to 1.58% per year. This medical entity can present as uterine prolapse and was noted only in group I. (2) The annual incidence for hospital admission with a diagnosis of uterine prolapse was 2.1%. (3) The incidence of cystocele, and rectocele was not statistically different in the two groups; but the incidence of perineal descent and uterine prolapse were significantly more in group II than group I. (4) The etiology of hypertrophic cervix is not known, but it is of importance especially in the childbearing age when it may be related to prolonged pregnancy, cervical dystocia, etc.

Adult↗

[Changing views on mitral valve prolapse].

Views regarding mitral valve prolapse, in particular its diagnosis and prognosis, have undergone great changes in recent years. The typical auscultation finding of a meso-systolic click and/or late systolic murmur is very specific for prolapse but it is not very sensitive. The basic diagnostic method of mitral valve prolapse is echocardiography. The non-realistic high prevalence of echocardiographic findings of prolapse in otherwise healthy subjects led recently to the introduction of stricter echocardiographic diagnostic criteria. The term mitral valve prolapse syndrome describes not confirmed association of anatomical valvular prolapse with non-specific symptoms of autonomous dysfunction. An attempt to explain non-specific complaints by an anatomical abnormality of the mitral valve has become very popular but, as increasingly apparent, is purely speculative. Controlled investigations provide evidence that the mitral valve prolapse syndrome does not exist that it is only an incidental coincidence of two conditions very frequently encountered in the population. The prognosis of the great majority of people with a mitral valve prolapse is very favourable. Only about 2-4% of subjects with prolapse are seriously threatened by complications such as infectious endocarditis, thromboembolic episodes, complex arrhythmias and sudden death. This small sub-group with a high risk is formed above all by patients with mitral insufficiency with severe haemodynamic impact. Independent negative prognostic signs are age above 50 years and male sex.

Humans↗

[Laparoscopic suture uterosacral ligament hysteropexy for uterine prolapse].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate possibility and effect of laparoscopic suture uterosacral ligament hysteropexy or colpopexy for women with uterine prolapse. METHODS: Thirty-two women with symptomatic uterine prolapse underwent laparoscopic suture uterosacral ligament hysteropexy. At the laparoscopic suture hysteropexy or colpopexy, the pouch of Douglas was closed and the uterosacral ligaments were plicated and reattached to the cervix. All patients were multipara and menopausal with prolapse of anterior wall of vagina. Additionally, 4 patients were with prolapse of posterior wall of vagina, 15 with stress urinary incontinence, and 4 with myomas. RESULTS: All procedures were successfully completed laparoscopically. The mean operating time for the laparoscopic suture hysteropexy or colpopexy alone was (32 +/- 11) min (range 20 approximately 80 min), and the mean blood loss was less than 50 ml. After a mean follow-up of (12 +/- 6) months (range 4 approximately 28 months), 23 women had no symptoms of uterine prolapse and seven had no objective evidence of uterine prolapse. Two women presented recurrence of uterine prolapse 3 months after operation. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopy suture hysteropexy or colpopexy is effective and safe in the management of symptomatic uterine prolapse. It may be an appropriate procedure for women with uterine prolapse hoping for uterine preservation.

Aged↗

[Mitral valve prolapse. A prevalence study using bidimensional echocardiography in a young population].

The results of many studies on the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse have been greatly influenced by the diagnostic methods and criteria adopted as well as by population selection. The method of choice today is 2d-echocardiography because of its ability to highlight both movement anomaly (i.e. functional prolapse) and any eventual morphological variations of the mitral valve (i.e. anatomic prolapse). The latter (chordae lengthening, thickening and overabundance of the leaflets, dilation of the valvular ring) are, nowadays, considered especially important even as predictive factors of complications. Therefore we studied the prevalence of these two types of prolapse in a population of 420 university students. Functional mitral valve prolapse was found in 27/420 (6.4%) and anatomical prolapse in 2 cases (0.5%). No auscultatory finding was present in 24/27 patients with functional prolapse. There was no correlation between the two types of mitral valve prolapse and the body mass index, the fractional shortening of the left ventricle and symptoms (dyspnea, palpitations, precordial pain, dizziness). We think that the distinction between the two types of mitral valve prolapse should prove very useful for the comparison of results in future epidemiological studies. Follow-up of both groups of patients will hopefully clarify the usefulness of such distinction from the clinical point of view.

Adult↗

[Progression of idiopathic mitral valve prolapse estimated by echocardiography].

To evaluate the progression of idiopathic mitral valve prolapse (MVP), a long time follow-up study (mean 7.1 years) was performed using echocardiography in 27 cases (11 males, 16 females, mean age: 50.4 years). Morphological changes, the degree of prolapse of the mitral valve, left atrial dimension (LAD) and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDd) were estimated at the first and last examinations. The degree of prolapse was assessed by measuring the distance of the dislocation between the anterior and posterior leaflets at the area of coaptation (degree I:5 mm or less, degree II: 6 to 10 mm, degree III: 11 mm or greater). The results were as follows: 1. The degree of prolapse did not progress in all 27 cases. 2. LAD increased with an advance of age. A remarkable increase of LAD was recorded in cases older than 45 years with atrial fibrillation or prolapse of degree II and III or with ruptured chordae tendineae. 3. The mitral ring was enlarged over 5 mm in six of 15 cases with prolapse of degree II and III. 4. Mitral regurgitation evaluated by Doppler echocardiography in patients with posterior leaflet prolapse was more severe than that in patients with anterior leaflet prolapse in the last examination. 5. LVDd increased gradually. In the present study, LAD was increased in most cases of MVP and it seemed to depend on complications (atrial fibrillation and ruptured chordae tendineae) or severity of regurgitation rather than the degree of prolapse.

Adult↗