Dilatation of the mitral and aortic valves. Current trends

: Following percutaneous endoluminal dilatation of the coronary arteries, new techniques developed in 1984 and 1986 respectively with the purpose of treating percutaneously adult mitral and aortic stenosis. Results of mitral valvuloplasty are excellent from an haemodynamic standpoint as well as an electrocardiographic and clinical standpoint. Anatomical lesions, especially commissural fissure, give a good explanation of these results. But this is a complex procedure, relatively rarely indicated today in France, because of the almost total disappearance of acute rheumatoid arthritis. Degenerative aortic stenosis is the most frequent valvulopathy in France. It occurs in elderly patients, after weak, in whom surgery is always a major risk. Dilatation seemed an interesting alternative to surgery. Unfortunately the results of aortic valvuloplasty are poor and most of the time temporary. However, improvement of the symptoms is observed in one out of two cases. These poor results are due to the nature of the anatomical lesion which respond poorly to valvuloplasty.