mitral insufficiency
mitral insufficiency
1875–80
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
mitral insufficiency n.
Valvular insufficiency involving the mitral valve.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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mitral insufficiency
inability of the mitral valve to prevent the flow of blood back from the left ventricle, or lower chamber of the heart, into the left atrium, or upper chamber. Normally, the valve permits blood to flow from the atrium to the ventricle but prevents its return. Most often, the inability of the mitral valve to close adequately is caused by scarring from rheumatic heart disease; it may also be due to a congenital defect of the valve or may arise from defects in the muscles and tendons (the papillary muscles and chordae tendineae) that operate the valve. Less frequently it may be due to endocarditis (inflammation of the heart lining) or cardiac tumour. The condition is recognized from characteristic heart sounds and from patterns that show up in echocardiography or electrocardiography.
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