Fig. 3.

Measurement of the systolic superior shift of mitral valve (MV) coaptation. Depths of MV coaptation in early and late systole were measured as its distance (yellow arrows) from the line connecting the MV annulus in apical echocardiographic views with the best visualization of the MV and/or mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Top: in this normal subject, MV coaptation depth slightly increases in systole (−3.3 to −1.5 mm/m²). Bottom: in contrast, MV coaptation depth considerably increases in this patient with late systolic MVP (−2.9 to +0.6 mm/m²).