Since its first description, made by John B. Barlow half century ago, Introduction Mitral Valve Prolapse has been the object of great interest in Cardiology. In these decades the understanding and interpretation of Mitral Valve Prolapse has drastically changed. In fact, Mitral Valve Prolapse, described at the beginning as a relatively rare and potentially risky disease, was considered in the following years the most diffuse and benign cardiac valve disease! After half a century the unsolved issues are still more than the clearly understood ones. The aim of the International Congress on Mitral Valve Prolapse is that of reexamining its clinical and pathophysiologic characteristics, in the light of the new investigation potentials deriving from advanced cardiac imaging modalities, discussing also the most innovative therapeutic strategies.
Director of the Meeting Sabino Iliceto