Diagnosis of Mitral-valve prolapse

Diagnostic Test list for Mitral-valve prolapse:

The list of medical tests mentioned in various sources as used in the diagnosis of Mitral-valve prolapse includes:

Physical exam
Stethoscope
Electrocardiograph (ECG)
Echocardiography

Tests and diagnosis discussion for Mitral-valve prolapse:

Sometimes, once a physician has heard the characteristic sounds of MVP through a stethoscope, other tests may be ordered. Echocardiography is a common and painless test that uses very high frequency sound waves. The sound waves travel through the layers of the skin and muscle to produce an image of the heart that can be seen on a screen. In this sense, it is similar to radar or sonar imaging.

Initially, "M-mode" echocardiography was used. This technology provides a single-plane view of the mitral valve and often resulted in overdiagnosis of MVP in the 1970s and 1980s. A study from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Framingham Heart Study, reported in the July 1, 1999 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, indicated that MVP is less common and less serious than previously thought.

The investigators used standard echocardiography equipment along with new, more accurate criteria that minimize false positive and false negative diagnoses. Whereas earlier estimates put the number of people with MVP at 5 to 35 percent of the population, the new NHLBI study showed the number is closer to 2 percent. In addition, MVP has long been thought to be more prevalent in women than men but the new study reported the condition appears with similar frequency in both men and women.

In light of this new information, NHLBI suggests that people who were diagnosed with MVP since the 1970s might discuss their current health status with their health care provider to determine if a new diagnostic test is warranted. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Mitral-Valve Prolapse: NHLBI)