Fatty Infiltration of Mitral Valve: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

Adipose tissue is a normal anatomical finding in the heart but fat infiltration in cardiac valves is extremely rare with very few cases reported in the literature. We report a case of fatty infiltration in a mitral valve replaced for mitral valve prolapse causing severe mitral regurgitation in a 65-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath and upper respiratory tract infection. The histopathological examination of the mitral valve revealed sheets of mature adipocytes in the spongiosa layer leading to replacement of collagen and elastic fibers. The presence of adipocytes in the prolapsed valve could be considered to arise from the proliferation of pluripotent valvular interstitial cells. Herein, we have reviewed the previously reported cases of fatty infiltration in the mitral valve and discussed the pathogenesis and effect on valvular function.

Profiling Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Patterns in Human Aortic and Mitral Valves

“…The enrichment of PPAR signaling, the uniform increased methylation of the subnetwork's constituent genes in mitral compared to aortic valves and APOA5 being a hub node, indicate that this subnetwork exhibits major methylation alterations related to the metabolism of lipids. The regulation and expression of lipid-related genes need to be further dissected as it has been reported in a previous study that increased fatty infiltration of valves is observed in MVP ( 89 ).…”