False positive results of MVP can include which finding?

• A. aortic root dilation
• B. mild to moderate pericardial effusion
• C. left atrial enlargement
• D. pulmonary edema

Answer: (B)

Pericardial effusion can create imaging artifacts that mimic mitral valve prolapse on echocardiography. The fluid around the heart changes the heart’s position and the acoustic windows, so the mitral leaflets may appear to billow or prolapse into the left atrium during systole even when the leaflets are normal. This makes mild to moderate pericardial effusion a known cause of falsely detecting MVP. Findings like aortic root dilation, left atrial enlargement, or pulmonary edema reflect real structural or hemodynamic consequences of true disease rather than artifacts that imitate prolapse, so they don’t represent false-positive MVP.