(heart valve disorder) Condition in which there is a deviation from or interruption of the normal functioning of heart valves.

Pathological conditions involving any of the various HEART VALVES and the associated structures (PAPILLARY MUSCLES and CHORDAE TENDINEAE).

Your heart has four valves. Normally, these valves open to let blood flow through or out of your heart, and then shut to keep it from flowing backward. But sometimes they don't work properly. If they don't, you could have Regurgitation - when blood leaks back through the valve in the wrong direction; Mitral valve prolapse - when one of the valves, the mitral valve, has "floppy" flaps and doesn't close tightly. It's one of the most common heart valve conditions. Sometimes it causes regurgitation.; Stenosis - when the valve doesn't open enough and blocks blood flow. Valve problems can be present at birth or caused by infections, heart attacks, or heart disease or damage. The main sign of heart valve disease is an unusual heartbeat sound called a heart murmur. Your doctor can hear a heart murmur with a stethoscope. But many people have heart murmurs without having a problem. Heart tests can show if you have a heart valve disease. Some valve problems are minor and do not need treatment. Others might require medicine, medical procedures, or surgery to repair or replace the valve. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

(valvular heart disorder) Any heart disorder characterized by a defect in valve structure or function.

Heart valves regulate the flow of blood through the heart's four chambers--two small, round upper chambers (atria) and two larger, cone-shaped lower chambers (ventricles). Each ventricle has a one-way "in" (inlet) valve and a one-way "out" (outlet) valve. Each valve consists of flaps (cusps or leaflets) that open and close like one-way...

In heart valve disease, one or more of the valves in your heart doesn't work properly.