Which echocardiographic findings are indicative of mitral stenosis?

Narrowed mitral valve opening and increased left atrial size are key echocardiographic findings indicative of mitral stenosis. In mitral stenosis, the mitral valve leaflets become thickened and calcified, leading to a reduced orifice area and restricted blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle during diastole. This narrowing can be visualized through echocardiography, where the valve's opening appears smaller than normal.

As the condition progresses, the left atrium experiences increased pressure and volume overload due to the impaired filling of the left ventricle. This results in left atrial enlargement, which is a critical sign of mitral stenosis. The enlarged left atrium can lead to other complications, including atrial fibrillation, due to the stretching of the atrial walls.

Other findings such as enlarged right ventricle or thickened ventricular walls are typically associated with conditions affecting the right side of the heart or chronic pressure overload, rather than mitral stenosis itself. Normal valve morphology would suggest the absence of stenosis, and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction tends to relate to systolic dysfunction rather than the isolated effects of mitral stenosis on the heart's diastolic filling