ROSE-the computer supported mitral valve prolapse determination

Prolapse is defined as the displacement of a bodily part from its normal position. The term mitral valve prolapse (PMV), therefore, implies that the mitral leaflets are displaced relative to some structure, generally taken to be the mitral annulus. Uncertainty persists about how it should be diagnosed and about its clinical importance. It is our firm belief that echocardiography enables a properly trained expert armed with the proper criteria to evaluate PMV with almost 100% accuracy. But unfortunately there are some problems connected with the use of echocardiography. For this reason, we have decided to start a research project aimed at finding new criteria which will enable the general practitioner to evaluate the PMV using conventional methods and to select potential patients from the general population. To enable one to perform the necessary action, a computer tool called ROSE has been developed based on algorithms of automatic learning. This tool supports the definition of new criteria and the selection of potential PMV-patients.