[Mitral valve prolapse syndrome in athletes].

The syndrome of mitral valve prolapse was diagnosed by means of echocardiography in 11 of 28 top-class athletes with functional systolic murmurs and in 4 of 16 athletes examined irrespective of the physical findings and complaints. The echocardiographic manifestations of the prolapse consisted in delayed systolic flexion of the posterior cusp (3 cases), early systolic prolapse of the posterior cusp (4) and holosystolic prolapse of both cusps (8). It is concluded that the syndrome of mitral valve prolapse occurs in athletes far more often than generally supposed and may be the cause of systolic murmurs, and the development of myocardial dystrophy due to chronic physical overstrain and disorders of cardiac rhythm.