Arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse

Abstract

Arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse is a rare problem of a usually benign condition of the mitral valve. Mitral annular disjunction and the pickelhaube sign are important features of myxomatous mitral valve prolapse, which are linked to ventricular arrhythmias or even sudden cardiac death. The prolapsing mitral valve can cause structural changes (fibrosis) in the papillary muscles and the posterolateral myocardial wall, which are a possible substrate for arrhythmias. Therefore it is important to look for these signs in patients with mitral valve prolapse.