mitral valve calcification

Etiology

• may be related to
  • diabetes mellitus
  • hypertension
  • hyperlipidemia
  • secondary hyperparathyroidism from renal failure

Epidemiology

• often detected on routine chest radiographs in elderly patients

Pathology

• generally unrelated to clinical symptoms

Diagnostic procedures

• transthoracic echocardiography may reveal mitral regurgitation & mitral stenosis

Radiology

• often detected on routine chest radiographs in elderly patients
• computed tomography reveals calcification of the mitral-valve annulus

Complications

• complete heart block
• mitral regurgitation
• mitral stenosis (less often)

Management

• generally intervention not indicated
• mitral valve replacement may be indicated if heart failure due to mitral regurgitation or mitral stenosis

More general terms

• ectopic/dystrophic calcification