Adult Echocardiography Practice Exam

Mitral valve prolapse is most commonly characterized by the presence of a mid-systolic click, which occurs during the cardiac cycle when the prolapsing mitral valve leaflets are forced back into the left atrium. This click is produced as the thickened or redundant valve tissue is pushed upward during ventricular contraction. The sound is typically followed by a late systolic murmur if mitral regurgitation is present.

While other findings such as thickened leaflets or left atrial enlargement can be associated with various forms of mitral valve dysfunction, they are not specific to mitral valve prolapse itself. In fact, left atrial enlargement is more commonly observed in cases of chronic mitral regurgitation rather than acute prolapse. Right ventricular hypertrophy is unrelated to mitral valve conditions and is typically linked to increased pressure overload in the right ventricle.

Thus, the mid-systolic click serves as a hallmark clinical finding associated specifically with mitral valve prolapse, helping clinicians differentiate this condition from other forms of mitral valve disease or dysfunction.