Diastolic Dysfunction

[francine27]

on my last echo that the mitral regurgitant jet is eccentrically directed , diastolic dysfuntion.   Does anyone know what these mean?

[kenkeith]

Mitral valve is the valve that opens and passes blood one-way from the left atrium to the left ventricle. If the leaflet(s) that close the valve are not functioning properly (close) there will be blood back flowing into the atrium. The direction and eccentricity (away from center) of the mitral regurgitant jet on echocardiography helps to locate the leaflet involved, but not necessarily the coexisting papillary muscle pathology. Mitral valves are attached to the papillary muscle with chords.

Diastolic dysfunction there is a problem filling the left ventrical with oxygenated blood to be pumped into circulation with each heartbeat.  Severe regurgitation could compromise the volume of blood pumped into circulation as some of the blood backflows into the atrium.  DD can also be caused by enlraged heart walls that crowds out filling space and/or the walls are thickened and does not relax enough to adequatey provide space to fill the left ventricle.