Figure 5

(Fig A, B, C) Change in mitral regurgitation that ensues upon the relief of afterload by AVR. All but 2 patients had CMR defineable reduction in their MR grade (defined herein as 0 through 7 representing no (absent) through 2+ (moderate) MR. In those 2 patients the least amount of LV remodeling was present suggesting that effective mass/volume normalization is an important mechanism towards stabilizng and eventual MR relief as it is in its initiating pathophysiology. (Note, superimposition prevents all 10 patients from being displayed).