Influence of mitral valve morphology on double-balloon catheter balloon valvuloplasty in patients with mitral stenosis. Analysis of factors predicting immediate and 3-month results.

To determine if mitral valve morphology influences the results of double-balloon catheter balloon valvuloplasty (CBV) for mitral stenosis, two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 33 patients before CBV. The two-dimensional echocardiographic features of leaflet motion, leaflet thickness, subvalvular disease, and commissural calcium and 14 pre-CBV clinical and hemodynamic variables were then correlated to the immediately post-CBV mitral valve area (MVA). At 3 months after CBV, the two-dimensional echocardiographic features of patients with a 25% or greater decrease in MVA were analyzed to determine whether mitral valve morphology had influenced early results. Leaflet motion had a significant relation with the immediately post-CBV MVA (r = 0.67, y = 4.5x + 0.29, and SEE = 0.45). Leaflet thickness had a weak and negative relation (r = -0.48, y = -0.17x + 2.6, and SEE = 0.53) with the immediately post-CBV MVA. Subvalvular disease and commissural calcium had no significant relation to the immediately ...