[Computed tomographic findings in mitral valve disease].

In 38 patients suffering from mitral valve disease the findings of cardiac CT scans were compared to the results of echocardiographic, standard roentgenographic, and cineangiocardiographic studies as well as to intraoperative and histological findings. CT proved to be superior to the other imaging modalities in detecting mitral calcifications and in demonstrating the morphological changes, but cannot replace cardiac catheterization as it does not yield haemodynamic data. The indication for CT in mitral valve disease therefore is restricted to cases with extremely enlarged left atria in which the other methods do not provide satisfactory visualization, and to patients with suspected intracavitary thrombus or tumor.