Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty in Rheumatic Double Orifice Mitral Valve

We are reporting four cases of acquired double orifice mitral valve (DOMV) of rheumatic etiology (rare) presenting as significant mitral stenosis (MS) treated successfully by percutaneous intervention. All four patients are young (3 males, 1 female) who presented with dyspnea of Newyork heart association (NYHA) class II with mean duration of 1.3 years. Typical clinical findings of MS were present in all. Echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of moderate to severe MS of rheumatic etiology with double orifice of mitral valve of Trowitzsch incomplete bridge variety [1], giving appearance of two equal (like a pair of spectacles in one patient) or unequal size orifices (in three patients) in parasternal short axis view. Color Doppler examination revealed separate jets originating from each orifice, determined severity of the lesion and evaluated the eligibility for balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV). BMV was carried out under transeosophagial echo (TEE) guidance (for perfect septal puncture and crossing the separate orifices) using Inoue balloon of appropriate size (in accordance with patient’s height) with intention to break central fibrous strand converting into a single orifice. All four patients underwent successful BMV (clinical & ECHO criteria) after dilating the separate orifices (except case 4) but the fibrous strand could not be broken. Hence, this study shows that good results can be obtained in acquired double orifice mitral valve with significant MS with BMV even without breaking the fibrous strand. Considering rarity of isolated DOMV cases and rheumatic etiology being very rare, this report of four rheumatic acquired DOMV cases with successful BMV done with good result is significant.