Valvular heart disease has often been considered an unchanging “standard” with little or no evolution in its extent within the world population or how it presents. Yet today, the exact opposite is true: in certain parts of the world rheumatic endocarditis is still highly prevalent, while in the developed western world, atherosclerotic and age-linked structural changes have become more prominent, with secondary changes due to dilatation of the ventricles increasingly seen as a major cause. Advances at the diagnostic level, such as in imaging, have been remarkable. With experience, the correct use of echocardiography is a highly robust and dependable tool in evaluating heart valve disease. New treatment modalities for mitral valve repair exist which provide a variety of clinical choices for the management of the disease itself. These techniques are evolving, with more promised in the near future.
This series specifically focuses on different aspects of mitral valve disease, its evaluation and treatment. It is a complement to an earlier series which looked at transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI) for aortic valves.
D.L. Clement, Editor-in-chief, E-journal
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