Mitral valve prolapse. Echocardiographic changes during pregnancy.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has been reported to be the most common cardiac disorder in reproductive-age women. The purposes of this prospective investigation were to determine the effect of pregnancy on cardiac function in women thought to have MVP and to determine whether any such changes would adversely affect pregnancy outcome. During a recent three-year period, 43 (1.2%) of 3,582 pregnant women followed in our clinic had a prior diagnosis of MVP without any other cardiac disorder. On closer evaluation, only 21 women (0.6%) had a previous echocardiogram suggestive of MVP. Serial echocardiograms in these women revealed that pregnancy caused either no change or an improvement in the valve prolapse. No cardiac complications were present, and perinatal outcomes were favorable. MVP may be less pronounced during pregnancy, and an echocardiogram late in gestation seems worthwhile to confirm the diagnosis before delivery.