Kenkeith, Lenin, What is this? - Heart Disorders Message Board

pa235 · 05-21-2007, 12:11 PM

i got a copy of my echo today evetything was okay, a trace of mitral regurg, but everything else was fine.

Theinterpretation says cannot rule out chordal SAM. High velocity was noted in the LV.

I searched the net over an hour and find nothing that fits his.

Now I have myself in a state of anxiety and My Dr. is on vaction.

Thanks, Linda

Timber · 05-21-2007, 06:53 PM

Let's break it down.

LV: left ventricle

Chordal: relating to the chords (cords/tendons) that help control the opening and shutting of the heart valves. They connect the valve flaps to the muscles nearby. These chords are technically called chordae tendineae.

SAM: systolic anterior motion. Anterior means closer to the front of your body. Systolic refers to the time when the heart is contracting.

So, "chordal SAM" would refer to movement of the chords nearest the front of your body, during contraction of the heart. I gather that this abnormal motion can cause mitral regurgitation if the flaps let a little blood through when they're normally closed, which is sounds like you already know you have. Lots of folks have mild mitral regurg. It certainly doesn't sound like anything fatal, but discuss it with your doctor.

pa235 · 05-21-2007, 07:10 PM

Thanks Timber,

I have been searching the net for hours and found no clear answer to my question.

This was my 7th yearly echo due to reguratation. everything was normal except for trace mitral regurg and mild tricupid regurg. I do not know why I have to have this done every year, everything else is "grossly" normal in size.

thanks for putting my mind at ease, linda

started04 · 05-22-2007, 02:31 PM

Hi Linda,

I have MVR that is secondary to an enlarged LV caused by ischemic heart failure. The chorda tendinea attaches the valve leaflets to the heart wall, and with an enlarged LV the chorda may not align properly with a misshaped valve orfice causing MVR.

I saw my MVR during an echo and the velocity was high due to a small leak and high heart chamber pressure causing the stream of blood ejection to splash off the posterior of the atrium wall.

Does or did your husband have an enlarged LV? If I remember correctly there was chamber remodeling.

pa235 · 05-22-2007, 03:19 PM

Hi Ken Keith,

This is reguarding myself. Do not know if my husband had a enlarged lv, if the Dr. said the test was okay he was satisfied. I want a copy and want to know what is what.

My report says all my valves are normal in size and function, just the trace mital regurg and mild tricuspid regurg. My ef was >60, I think the tech told me it was 63-65.

This just threw me this Choral sam, sounded like something serious to me. But I should have known better my Dr. is very pro-active with health care.
My past two echos showed left venticular hyperthrophy with dyastolic dysfuntion, this one has nothing about that.

I do not know much about heart and the different diseases, but I started to come to the board when my husbad had his first heart attack and everyone was so helpful. I appreciate all of you.