Mitral valve disease occurs when the mitral valve doesn’t work properly, allowing blood to flow backward into the left atrium.
As a result, your heart does not pump enough blood out of the left ventricular chamber.
Mitral valve disease has many causes. Some forms of mitral valve disease can be present at birth (congenital).
Mitral valve regurgitation can be caused by problems with the mitral valve, also called primary mitral valve regurgitation. Mitral valve regurgitation is often caused by mitral valve prolapse, in which the mitral valve flaps (leaflets) bulge back into the left atrium. Diseases of the left ventricle can lead to secondary mitral valve regurgitation.
Mitral valve stenosis is often caused by rheumatic fever, which is a complication of a strep infection that can affect the heart.