CADIOVASCULAR sound may be divided into 2 categories,' namely, murmurs that result from turbulence in streams of blood flowing so rapidly that the critical Reynolds2' 3 number is exceeded and, heart sounds that represent vibrations resulting from abrupt changes in the velocity of blood movement. Since closure of the heart valves suddenly arrests or reverses the movement of blood, normal valve f...

OBJECTIVE To determine collagen fibril diameter distributions in the chordae tendineae and to see whether there are any differences between right and left sides of the human heart. DESIGN Collagen fibril diameters and the percentage volume occupied by collagen fibrils (as opposed to ground substance) were determined by means of a planimeter with a digitising tablet from electron micrographs p...

BACKGROUND Recently, infant cases of acute heart failure attributable to rupture of the mitral chordae tendineae have been reported. However, little is known about the pathogenesis and clinical course of this condition. METHODS AND RESULTS Ninety-five children with rupture of mitral chordae tendineae were identified in nationwide surveys of Japan diagnosed from 1995 to 2013. The clinical mani...

RUPTURE of the chordae tendineae is an uncommon event that may lead to sudden mitral regurgitation, the severity of which generally depends on the number and location of the chordae involved.1 It has been reported to occur with active bacterial or rheumatic endocarditis, in association with healed rheumatic valvulitis, following healed bacterial endocarditis or trauma, or "spontaneously" in hea...

PURPOSE In this report we review our experience of operations on mitral regurgitation associated with abnormal papillary muscles/chordae tendineae of the mitral valves and discussed the clinical characteristics, operative findings, and treatment strategies. METHODS Undifferentiated papillary muscle was defined as a hypoplastic chordae tendineae with anomalous formation of papillary muscles at...

Mitral valve insufficiency is frequently the result of elongated or ruptured chordae tendineae. Several techniques have been described for its correction. However, when there is a severe elongation or rupture of the chordae, the most widely accepted treatment option has been valve replacement. The best long-term outcomes observed in conservative surgeries led us to choose this procedure rather ...

Phonocardiographic, hemodynamic, angiographic, and cardiac echographic studies have been performed on 11 patients whose diseased mitral valves have been replaced by a supported aortic valve homograft. The chordae tendineae and papillary muscles were removed in all patients during the operation. Apical first heart sounds of normal intensity were present in all patients after surgery. Nine patien...