Sign Up for a Free Account

This is an image preview.
Start a Free Account
to view the full image.

  • Nearly 3,000 illustrations, including video clips of neurologic disorders.

  • Every article is reviewed by our esteemed Editorial Board for accuracy and currency.

  • Full spectrum of neurology in 1,200 comprehensive articles.

  • Listen to MedLink on the go with Audio versions of each article.

Comparison of blood flow during systole in a normal heart and a heart with mitral regurgitation

Comparison of blood flow during systole in a normal heart (top) and a heart with mitral regurgitation (bottom). In the normal heart, the mitral valve is closed during systole, and blood flows through the open aortic valve into the aorta. In the heart with mitral regurgitation, blood flows bidirectionally: retrograde into the left atrium through the abnormal mitral valve and anterograde into the aorta through the aortic valve. (Source: Cabot RC. Physical Diagnosis of Diseases of the Chest. Second edition. New York: William Wood and Company, 1903. Public domain.)

Associated Disorders

  • Arthritis
  • Athetosis
  • Carditis
  • Chorea gravidarum
  • Obsessive-compulsive behavior
  • Rheumatic fever
  • Streptococcal pharyngitis