Mitral-annulus calcification and cerebral or retinal ischaemia.

Radiological and echocardiographic evidence of extensive mitral-annulus calcification was present in 8 patients (aged 64 to 78) from a series of 151 consecutive patients presenting with symptoms of retinal or cerebral ischaemia but in none of 188 controls matched for age and sex. The mitral-annulus calcification syndrome appears to be significantly associated with cerebral emboli, particularly in the elderly. Echocardiography is a valuable noninvasive means of making the diagnosis and distinguishing the condition from others with similar physical signs.