Transient Severe Functional Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Abstract

A 79-year-old woman presented with recurrent pulmonary edema. Extensive testing spanning 5 admissions showed only mild mitral regurgitation (MR). A transthoracic echocardiogram with the patient in the supine position and passive leg raise showed severe MR. This suggested transient severe MR. She underwent mitral valve replacement and had an uneventful postoperative course without recurrence of symptoms. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.)

Keywords

• positional mitral regurgitation
• recurrent pulmonary edema
• transient mitral regurgitation