What Is a LAD Mitral Fibroid?

A left anterior descending (LAD) artery mitral fibroid is a growth on the mitral valve of the heart. It can be benign or malignant and can potentially cause an array of cardiovascular complications.

Significance

• The LAD artery is a blood vessel that runs through the front of the heart, supplying it with oxygenated blood and nutrients.

Function

• The mitral valve regulates blood flow between the left atrium and the left ventricle. The flaps of the mitral valve allow blood to flow from the atrium to the ventricle.

Identification

• A LAD artery mitral fibroid is a grayish-white nodule that grows as a single tumor or that may accumulate as a cluster of tumors in the mitral valve of the artery, according to an article by J. H. Mason Knox Jr. in the "Journal of Experimental Medicine" in 1899.

Effects

• Mitral fibroid tumors develop and amass due to thickening of the tissue in the walls of the valve, potentially leading to perforation of the valve and changes in the direction of blood flow, notes Knox.

Symptoms

• According to Cedars Sinai, symptoms of an LAD artery mitral fibroid include heart murmurs, rapid heartbeat, cardiac blockages that interfere with blood flow, and enlargement of the heart.