Clinical and 2-Dimensional Echocardiographic Characteristics
Clinical and two-Dimensional Echocardiographic Characteristics are listed in Table 2. Of the 94 patients with MVP and significant MR, 31 patients showed a TVi > 0.7 ml/m2 and entered the MVP with tethering (MVPt+) group, while the rest MVP patents entered the MVP without tethering (MVPt-) group.
There were no differences in age, gender, body surface area and Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score (P = NS for all). The frequency of NYHA functional class III/IV was slightly higher in MVPt+ group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). Levels of NT-proBNP and sPAP was markedly elevated in MVPt+ patients.
In addition, MVPt+ group also had larger 3D VCA, LV volume index, max and mean MV gradient (P < 0.01 for all), but similar max VCW compared with MVPt- group. The frequency of leaflet flail in the MVPt+ group was significantly higher than in the MVPt- group (94% vs 73%, P = 0.034). Flail/coaptation gap was larger in MVPt+ group and prolapse width was comparable between the two groups.