Acute Mitral Insufficiency Secondary to Ruptured Chordae Tendineae

A patient had acute mitral insufficiency secondary to ruptured chordae tendineae. Recognition of acute mitral insufficiency and of its differentiation from chronic mitral insufficiency is important because of marked differences in prognosis and management. We emphasize the pathophysiology of acute and chronic mitral insufficiency to provide a firm basis for understanding the clinical and laboratory manifestations of these two entities as well as their differential diagnosis. We consider this differential diagnosis in detail, comparing and contrasting pathophysiologic mechanisms and clinical and laboratory manifestations.