Hypomastia and Mitral-Valve Prolapse

Abstract

THE pathogenesis of mitral-valve prolapse is unclear. However, it has been associated with thoracoskeletal abnormalities,^{1 , 2} connective-tissue disorders,^{3 4 5} and coagulopathies.⁶ Affected tissues in these disorders are embryologically derived from mesenchymal-cell origins. During the sixth week of fetal life, the mitral valve undergoes embryologic differentiation, and the vertebral column and thoracic cage develop their shape and form through chondrification.^{7 , 8} The breast, which in large part is of mesenchymal origin, undergoes primordial development during the same time. Since both the breast and mitral valve are of mesenchymal origin, we postulated that an association may exist between breast-size development and mitral-valve prolapse. If present, . . .