Mitral Valve Stenosis

Your primary care provider may detect symptoms of mitral stenosis during a regular checkup and refer you to a specialist. One of the easiest signs of mitral stenosis for a healthcare provider to detect is a heart murmur. Your provider can usually hear a murmur when using a stethoscope to listen to your heart and breathing during a routine physical exam. More severe cases can cause more than one sound as part of the murmur, which can help your provider determine the severity of your case.

What tests will be done to diagnose mitral valve stenosis?

A cardiologist will usually do one or more of the following tests to diagnose your case and determine its severity:

• Echocardiogram. This test uses ultrasound waves to give healthcare providers a picture of the inside of your heart. It’s the most common test used to diagnose mitral valve stenosis.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This measures the electrical activity of your heart using sensors attached to the skin on your chest. An EKG can detect heart rhythm problems connected to mitral valve stenosis.
• Chest X-ray. X-rays can show telltale changes in the shape or structure of your heart that mitral valve stenosis causes.
• Cardiac catheterization. A provider inserts a device into one of your blood vessels and threads it up to your heart. Then they can measure pressures within your heart and determine if you have mitral valve stenosis.

Stages of mitral valve stenosis

Healthcare providers may talk about mitral valve stenosis stages. These range from A to D, with D being the most severe. At each stage, a provider may see irregularities in how your mitral valve looks or functions. Stages C and D have the most severe issues. You don’t have symptoms until stage D.