Abbott Specimen 5
Specimen Card Nomenclature
Aberrant structures and anomalous bands in ventricle with musical diastolic murmur
International Classification of Diseases
Anomalous mitral chord
Atlas Illustration
Plate X Figure 2
Atlas Illustration
Plate X Figure 2
Donor
Dr. Hamilton
Date
1899
Age
Forty years
Description
The specimen has been mounted to show the anterior mitral valve leaflet. A mildly thickened chorda tendineae (arrow) extends from the lateral left ventricle wall to insert on its undersurface. (The Atlas illustration shows the insertion site better). The mitral valve itself is normal. The left ventricle is enlarged, probably as a result of stenosis/regurgitation of the aortic valve, which is bicuspid (seen on the Atlas image).
Comment
The patient presented with chest pain three years before his death. Physical examination showed pulsation of the carotid arteries, a palpable diastolic thrill and a high-pitched diastolic murmur audible to the patient and, at one time, by Dr. Hamilton 5 feet in front of him. The murmur was attributed at autopsy to blood flowing around the anomalous chorda. A detailed case history was reported by Dr. Hamilton in the Montreal Medical Journal in 1899.
Enlarge View
Atlas Illustration
Plate X Figure 2
