Which type of heart murmurs are usually detected in patients with mitral valve prolapse?

In patients with mitral valve prolapse, the murmurs that are typically detected are systolic murmurs. This phenomenon occurs due to the abnormal movement of the mitral valve during the contraction of the heart, leading to the backflow of blood into the left atrium, which is often referred to as regurgitation.

The characteristics of a systolic murmur related to mitral valve prolapse can include a "click" sound that is heard just before the murmur, caused by the sudden tension of the valve leaflets. This click, followed by a murmur, is a hallmark finding in auscultation.

Understanding the timing of heart sounds and murmurs is crucial for diagnosis, as diastolic murmurs are associated with issues related to valve closure or stenosis during the filling phase of the heart, while continuous murmurs typically suggest a connection between high-pressure arterial and low-pressure venous systems, such as in cases of arteriovenous fistulas. Thus, the identification of a systolic murmur in this context is significant for the clinical diagnosis of conditions like mitral valve prolapse.