CCI RCS Exam Most Updated Question and
Answer (2026/2027) | Verified Practice
Material | A+ Verified
• What is the most common cause of mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Rheumatic heart disease.
• What type of overload occurs in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Pressure overload of the left
atrium.
• Which chamber is the first to enlarge in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Left atrium.
• What is the classic 2D finding of mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Diastolic doming of the anterior
mitral valve leaflet.
• What leaflet thickness is suggestive of mitral stenosis? -✓✓ >3 mm.
• What happens to the posterior mitral leaflet in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Anterior motion.
• What is commissural fusion in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Fusion of mitral valve
commissures due to rheumatic disease.
• What additional findings in the left atrium are seen in severe mitral stenosis? -✓✓
Spontaneous echo contrast (smoke) and thrombus.
• What right ventricle changes occur with severe mitral stenosis? -✓✓ RVH and RV
dilation.
• What left ventricle appearance may be seen in severe mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Small D-
shaped LV.
• What is the normal mitral valve area (MVA)? -✓✓ 4-6 cm².
• What is the mild mitral stenosis MVA? -✓✓ >1.5 cm².
• What is the moderate mitral stenosis MVA? -✓✓ 1.0-1.5 cm².
• What is the severe mitral stenosis MVA? -✓✓ <1.0 cm².
• What is the severe mitral stenosis pressure half-time? -✓✓ >220 ms.
• What type of overload occurs in mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ Volume overload.
,• Which chambers are enlarged in chronic mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ LA and LV.
• What is the typical left ventricle response to chronic mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ LV
dilation and hyperkinesis.
• What is a common cause of functional mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ LV dilation.
• What pulmonary finding may occur in severe mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ Pulmonary
hypertension.
• What is the mild mitral regurgitation regurgitant volume? -✓✓ <30 mL/beat.
• What is the moderate mitral regurgitation regurgitant volume? -✓✓ 30-60 mL/beat.
• What is the severe mitral regurgitation regurgitant volume? -✓✓ >60 mL/beat.
• What is the severe mitral regurgitation effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA)? -✓✓
>0.40 cm².
• What pulmonary venous Doppler finding suggests severe mitral regurgitation? -✓✓
Systolic flow reversal.
• What is the definition of mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ Billowing of mitral leaflets beyond
the annulus.
• What is the most common leaflet pathology in mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ Myxomatous
degeneration.
• Which scallop is most commonly involved in mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ P2.
• When does mid-systolic prolapse occur? -✓✓ Late in systole.
• What is a common consequence of mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ Mitral regurgitation.
• What is the most common congenital cause of aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Bicuspid aortic
valve.
• What type of overload occurs in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Pressure overload.
• What is the left ventricle remodeling pattern in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Concentric LVH.
• What is the characteristic appearance of a bicuspid valve opening? -✓✓ Football-
shaped opening.
, • What is the typical cusp motion in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Reduced excursion.
• What chamber enlargement is associated with aortic stenosis? -✓✓ LA enlargement.
• What happens to the ascending aorta in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Post-stenotic dilation.
• What is the severe aortic stenosis aortic valve area (AVA)? -✓✓ <1.0 cm².
• What is the moderate aortic stenosis AVA? -✓✓ 1.0-1.5 cm².
• What is the mild aortic stenosis AVA? -✓✓ >1.5 cm².
• What is the severe aortic stenosis mean gradient? -✓✓ >40 mmHg.
• What is the severe aortic stenosis peak velocity? -✓✓ >4.0 m/s.
• What velocity ratio indicates severe aortic stenosis? -✓✓ <0.25.
• What M-mode sign is associated with aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Aortic valve thickening and
reduced excursion.
• Why does syncope occur in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Fixed cardiac output during exertion.
• What type of overload occurs in aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ Volume overload.
• Which chamber enlarges in chronic aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ LV.
• What is the M-mode hallmark of aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ Diastolic fluttering of AMVL.
• What is another M-mode finding in aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ IVS flutter.
• What happens to ejection fraction in chronic severe aortic regurgitation? -✓✓
Eventually decreases.
• What happens to left ventricle size in aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ Progressive dilation.
• What does premature mitral valve closure indicate? -✓✓ Elevated LVEDP.
• What does premature aortic valve opening indicate? -✓✓ Severe aortic regurgitation
with elevated LVEDP.
• What pressure half-time suggests severe aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ <200 ms.
Answer (2026/2027) | Verified Practice
Material | A+ Verified
• What is the most common cause of mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Rheumatic heart disease.
• What type of overload occurs in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Pressure overload of the left
atrium.
• Which chamber is the first to enlarge in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Left atrium.
• What is the classic 2D finding of mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Diastolic doming of the anterior
mitral valve leaflet.
• What leaflet thickness is suggestive of mitral stenosis? -✓✓ >3 mm.
• What happens to the posterior mitral leaflet in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Anterior motion.
• What is commissural fusion in mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Fusion of mitral valve
commissures due to rheumatic disease.
• What additional findings in the left atrium are seen in severe mitral stenosis? -✓✓
Spontaneous echo contrast (smoke) and thrombus.
• What right ventricle changes occur with severe mitral stenosis? -✓✓ RVH and RV
dilation.
• What left ventricle appearance may be seen in severe mitral stenosis? -✓✓ Small D-
shaped LV.
• What is the normal mitral valve area (MVA)? -✓✓ 4-6 cm².
• What is the mild mitral stenosis MVA? -✓✓ >1.5 cm².
• What is the moderate mitral stenosis MVA? -✓✓ 1.0-1.5 cm².
• What is the severe mitral stenosis MVA? -✓✓ <1.0 cm².
• What is the severe mitral stenosis pressure half-time? -✓✓ >220 ms.
• What type of overload occurs in mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ Volume overload.
,• Which chambers are enlarged in chronic mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ LA and LV.
• What is the typical left ventricle response to chronic mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ LV
dilation and hyperkinesis.
• What is a common cause of functional mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ LV dilation.
• What pulmonary finding may occur in severe mitral regurgitation? -✓✓ Pulmonary
hypertension.
• What is the mild mitral regurgitation regurgitant volume? -✓✓ <30 mL/beat.
• What is the moderate mitral regurgitation regurgitant volume? -✓✓ 30-60 mL/beat.
• What is the severe mitral regurgitation regurgitant volume? -✓✓ >60 mL/beat.
• What is the severe mitral regurgitation effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA)? -✓✓
>0.40 cm².
• What pulmonary venous Doppler finding suggests severe mitral regurgitation? -✓✓
Systolic flow reversal.
• What is the definition of mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ Billowing of mitral leaflets beyond
the annulus.
• What is the most common leaflet pathology in mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ Myxomatous
degeneration.
• Which scallop is most commonly involved in mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ P2.
• When does mid-systolic prolapse occur? -✓✓ Late in systole.
• What is a common consequence of mitral valve prolapse? -✓✓ Mitral regurgitation.
• What is the most common congenital cause of aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Bicuspid aortic
valve.
• What type of overload occurs in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Pressure overload.
• What is the left ventricle remodeling pattern in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Concentric LVH.
• What is the characteristic appearance of a bicuspid valve opening? -✓✓ Football-
shaped opening.
, • What is the typical cusp motion in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Reduced excursion.
• What chamber enlargement is associated with aortic stenosis? -✓✓ LA enlargement.
• What happens to the ascending aorta in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Post-stenotic dilation.
• What is the severe aortic stenosis aortic valve area (AVA)? -✓✓ <1.0 cm².
• What is the moderate aortic stenosis AVA? -✓✓ 1.0-1.5 cm².
• What is the mild aortic stenosis AVA? -✓✓ >1.5 cm².
• What is the severe aortic stenosis mean gradient? -✓✓ >40 mmHg.
• What is the severe aortic stenosis peak velocity? -✓✓ >4.0 m/s.
• What velocity ratio indicates severe aortic stenosis? -✓✓ <0.25.
• What M-mode sign is associated with aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Aortic valve thickening and
reduced excursion.
• Why does syncope occur in aortic stenosis? -✓✓ Fixed cardiac output during exertion.
• What type of overload occurs in aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ Volume overload.
• Which chamber enlarges in chronic aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ LV.
• What is the M-mode hallmark of aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ Diastolic fluttering of AMVL.
• What is another M-mode finding in aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ IVS flutter.
• What happens to ejection fraction in chronic severe aortic regurgitation? -✓✓
Eventually decreases.
• What happens to left ventricle size in aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ Progressive dilation.
• What does premature mitral valve closure indicate? -✓✓ Elevated LVEDP.
• What does premature aortic valve opening indicate? -✓✓ Severe aortic regurgitation
with elevated LVEDP.
• What pressure half-time suggests severe aortic regurgitation? -✓✓ <200 ms.
