Mitral valve prolapse syndrome in agoraphobic patients

Twenty-five agoraphobic women were compared with 23 controls for the presence of mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVP). All subjects underwent cardiac examination, electrocardiography, phonocardiography, and echocardiography. Eleven of the agoraphobic patients had MVP; 5 had echo findings alone, 3 had both auscultory and echo findings, and 3 had auscultory findings alone. Two controls had evidence of MVP, both with echo findings alone. Echo chamber size and wall motion were similar in both groups. One patient had inferior T wave changes on ECG while all controls had normal tracings. The authors conclude that a significant number of agoraphobic patients have MVP and discuss the thoretical and clinical implications of this association.