Morphometric evaluation and clinical relations of mitral valve apparatus

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate morphometrically and morphologically the left fibrous ring, mitral leaflets, tendinous cords and papillary muscles, which are the components of the mitral valve apparatus (MVA), and to reveal their clinical relationships. A total of 120 human hearts were examined at the T.R. Forensic Medicine Institute. Cases aged 30 years and older, less than 24 hours after their death, were included in the study. Heart length, width, height/width ratio, anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of annulus, annular area, length and width of leaflets, number and attachment sites of tendinous cords, number, shape, length, width of papillary muscles, and distances to various points were recorded to determine their spatial configurations. In addition to the measurement data of MVA components in cases with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD), the relationships of these data with the demographic characteristics of the cases are also explained. In the diagnostic performance test (ROC analysis), it was determined that body mass index (>26,7), heart weight (>414 g), heart height/width ratio (≤1,24), mitral valve width (>99,96 mm), left ventricular wall thickness (>15,08 mm), annular area (>619,37 mm2) and mediolateral diameter of the annulus (>30,71 mm) are important diagnostic criteria in determining CVD if they are outside the specified reference values. We believe that our results can guide clinicians in the planning and management of surgical operations involving MVA components. Key Words: Mitral valve apparatus, left fibrous ring, mitral leaflets, tendinous cords, papillary muscles.