The computer tool of the mitral valve prolapse determination based on automatic learning

Prolapse is defined as the displacement of a bodily part from its normal position. The term mitral valve prolapse (PMV), therefore, implies that the mitral leaflets are displaced relative to some structure, generally taken to be the mitral annulus. The implications of the PMV are following: disturbed normal laminar blood flow, turbulence of the blood flow, injury of the chordae tendinae, the possibility of thrombus's composition, bacterial endocarditis and finally hemodynamic changes defined as mitral insufficiency and mitral regurgitation. Uncertainty persists about how it should be diagnosed and about its clinical importance. It is our deep belief that the echocardiography enables proper trained experts armed with proper criteria to evaluate PMV almost 100%. Unfortunately there are some problems concerned with the use of echocardiography. We have decided to start a research project aimed to find new criteria and enable general practitioners to evaluate the PMV using conventional methods and to select potential patients from the general population. To empower one to perform needed activities we developed a computer tool called ROSE (Computerised Prolaps Syndrome Determination) based on algorithms of automatic learning. This tool supports the definition of new criteria and the selection of potential PMV-patients. >