Mitral valve
The mitral valve (MV) (or bicuspid valve) is one of the four cardiac valves. It is the atrioventricular valve that allows blood to flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. It opens during diastole and closes during systole. The valve has anterior and posterior leaflets (cusps), the bases of which attach around the AV orifice to a fibrous ring, known as the mitral valve annulus (MVA), forming part of the fibrous skeleton of the heart. The chordae tendineae are thin strong inelastic fibrous cords that extend from the free edge of the cusps to the apices of the papillary muscles within the left ventricle. Both cusps receive chordae tendineae from both papillary muscles. The anterior cusp is thicker and more mobile than the posterior cusp, and in general the cusps of the mitral valve are smaller and thicker than those of the tricuspid valve.
Related pathology
- mitral stenosis
- mitral regurgitation
- mitral valve disease
- rheumatic heart disease
- mitral valve prolapse
- mitral valve annular calcification
- parachute mitral valve
- mitral valve papillary muscle rupture
History and etymology
The Latin word mitra refers to a turban used to describe the ceremonial head-dress as worn by Catholic bishops (hence the modern word mitre). The valve was initially described as resembling such a hat.
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Thoracic
- thoracic skeleton
- thoracic cage
- thoracic spine
- articulations
- muscles of the thorax
- diaphragm
- intercostal space
- intercostal muscles
- variant anatomy
- spaces of the thorax
- thoracic viscera
- tracheobronchial tree
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lungs
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bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
- left lung
- right lung
- variant anatomy
- lung parenchyma
- hilum
- pleura
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bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
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heart
- cardiac chambers
- heart valves
- pectinate muscles
- cardiac fibrous skeleton
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coronary arteries
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left main coronary artery (LMCA)
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circumflex artery (LCx)
- obtuse marginal branches (OM1, OM2, etc))
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left anterior descending artery (LAD)
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right coronary artery (RCA)
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- endocardium
- myocardium
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pericardium
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pericardial recesses
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coronary veins
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- cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- pulmonary veins
- thoracoepigastric vein
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- innervation of the thorax