Signs and Symptoms
Many people with MVP have no symptoms and no complaints. In some cases, though,
the flaps of the mitral valve make a clicking sound when they close, like when you
flick or snap a towel, and it is simply called a "click." A doctor might be able to
hear this noise when listening to the heart with a stethoscope and discover MVP that
way.
Someone who has MVP and mitral regurgitation also may have a heart murmur, the
sound caused by some blood moving backward into the left atrium. When a click and
murmur are heard together, the click happens first (as the flaps close and flop back),
followed by the murmur (the noise of the whirling blood as it leaks back into the
atrium through the improperly closed valve).
Kids with MVP might have:
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- fatigue
- shortness of breath or trouble breathing after exertion
- a feeling that the heart is skipping beats or beating very quickly
- chest pain that comes and goes
The chest pain is often described as sharp but can vary from person to person.
And it isn't always clear whether chest pain in kids is caused by the MVP or by something
else, such as stomach reflux.
Chest pain in kids is not usually dangerous. However, call your doctor if your
child has chest pain that:
- consistently occurs during physical exertion (exercise or sports)
- creates pressure and a crushing sensation
- occurs with other symptoms (palpitations that last more than a few seconds, dizziness,
fainting, or shortness of breath)
Diagnosis and Treatment
In most cases, MVP is diagnosed during a routine exam when a doctor listens to
the heart with a stethoscope and hears a different sound. If the doctor hears a click
or a murmur that indicates MVP, he or she may refer your child to a pediatric cardiologist,
a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart conditions in kids.
The cardiologist will do a thorough physical exam and listen to the heart. Then
he or she may order tests — including an echocardiogram (echo)
and an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) — to
find out what's causing the sound. An echo uses sound waves to create a picture of
the heart and its blood flow, and an EKG records electrical activity produced by the
heart. If a child has MVP, the bulging valve flaps will probably be seen on the echo
when the heart beats.
Kids who are diagnosed with MVP won't need medical treatment. In some cases
where MVP causes significant regurgitation, doctors may prescribe blood pressure medication
to control how hard the heart muscle works. (With blood leaking back into the atrium,
the heart works harder to pump the normal amount of blood out to the body.)
A child who has an arrhythmia (an abnormal heart rhythm) in addition to MVP may
need to take medicine to help regulate the heart's rhythm. However, this is not common
in kids.
Leakage due to MVP may continue over years; very rarely, a child might need surgery
to repair a very leaky mitral valve.