6例二尖瓣瘤临床病理分析

目的:探讨二尖瓣瘤(MAV)的临床病理特征。方法:收集6例MVA患者的临床症状、体征及超声心动图资料。6例患者,男性5例,女性1例,年龄27～63岁。临床表现胸闷4例,发热2例,体检可闻及不同程度心脏杂音。超声心动图检查发现,二尖瓣前叶囊袋状结构。二尖瓣瘤的病理特征,包括大体形态及光镜下囊壁结构以及相应瓣膜的病理改变。结果:大体观察可见大小不等,形状不规则的囊袋状结构,囊壁厚薄不一。囊壁光滑5例,囊内可见赘生物1例,囊壁结构与相应的瓣膜组织结构相同,相应的瓣膜组织4例尚可见炎症反应。结论:二尖瓣瘤是一种罕见的心脏瓣膜病变,其发生多与主动脉瓣心内膜炎有关。     

老年退行性心脏瓣膜病临床分析

目的探讨老年退行性心脏瓣膜病的患病相关因素与特点.方法 580例60岁～89岁离休干部,经彩色多普勒超声心动图检查,确诊为老年退行性心脏瓣膜病82例.结果心脏瓣膜病变随年龄增长而增多,与高血压病、冠心病、糖尿病、脑梗死关系密切,病变以主动脉瓣病变伴反流为主,听诊以心尖部(2/6～3/6)级收缩期杂音较多见.结论老年退行性心脏瓣膜病临床表现无特异性,易与其他心脏病并存,漏诊率较高.     

小儿及少年感染性心内膜炎20例临床分析

目的 :为少儿感染性心内膜炎 (IE)的诊治及预防寻找对策。方法 :对 2 0例少儿 IE的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果 :IE2 0例中 ,非青紫型先天性心脏病 1 0例 ,均为室间隔缺损 (VSD) ,其中 5例合并主动脉瓣关闭不全 (AI) ;青紫型先天性心脏病 2例 ;风湿性心脏病 6例 ;心脏结构正常 2例。部分患者伴有明显的免疫功能紊乱。血培养阳性 1 0例。超声心动图检查发现瓣膜赘生物1 7例。治疗主要用青霉素等。死亡 5例。结论 :1心脏结构异常是 IE的主要基础病因 ;2先天性心脏病 VSD合并 AI、风湿性心脏病有二尖瓣脱垂和联合病变者为发生 IE的高危儿 ,对这些患儿应定期用抗生素积极预防 ;3超声心动图检查对 IE的诊断有重要价值。4对确诊或高度疑诊的 IE患儿 ,首先应内科治疗。     

室间隔缺损并发主动脉瓣脱垂的介入治疗及评价

目的:探讨室间隔缺损(VSD)并发轻度主动脉瓣脱垂(AVP)的介入治疗的可行性,并评价其近中期疗效。方法:采用国产新型VSD封堵器对27例并发AVP的VSD患者进行封堵治疗,经胸超声心动图显示VSD的直径。所有患者术后进行定期随访。结果:27例患者中,嵴内型VSD10例,膜周部VSD17例,皆不伴主动脉瓣关闭不全,其中右冠瓣脱垂20例,左冠瓣脱垂6例,右冠瓣脱垂并无冠瓣脱垂1例;左心室造影显示缺损直径2～12(4.54±1.93)mm,缺损上缘距主动脉瓣0～1(0.35±0.25)mm。27例患者封堵成功22例,成功率81.5%。封堵成功的22例患者术后即刻左心室造影及心脏超声检查无分流、无主动脉瓣及三尖瓣反流。术后随访6～30(平均18)个月,未发生主动脉瓣穿孔或反流,亦无二尖瓣和三尖瓣关闭不全,未出现新发心律失常。结论:国产VSD封堵器可以成功封堵并发轻度AVP的VSD,近中期疗效佳,远期疗效需要进一步随访观察。     

慢性肾功能衰竭血液透析患者心脏瓣膜病变

目的 :探讨慢性肾功能衰竭维持性血液透析患者心脏瓣膜病变的性质、病因及对心脏结构和功能的影响。方法 :通过彩色多谱勒心动超声检查观察 6 4例慢性肾功能衰竭维持性血液透析患者心脏瓣膜钙化的程度、瓣膜面积、狭窄或关闭不全及血生化指标。结果 :6 4例患者中发现二尖瓣钙化 9例 ,二尖瓣返流 5例 ,二尖瓣面积减少致狭窄 2例 ,主动脉瓣钙化 12例 ,主动脉瓣返流 7例 ,二尖瓣并发主动脉瓣钙化 3例。结论 :慢性肾功能衰竭维持性血液透析患者心脏瓣膜病变均以钙化为主 ,尤以二尖瓣、主动脉瓣易发 ,且钙化程度与钙磷乘积、继发性甲状旁腺机能亢进和血液透析年限密切相关。     

二尖瓣脱垂患者的二尖瓣反流从轻度发展到重 度的依据

人们对二尖瓣脱垂(MVP)患者的二尖瓣反流(MR)从轻度发展到重度的自然病程所知甚少.本文报道平均年龄60(26～82)岁的86(男53、女33)例MVP患者,其就诊原因为充血性心力衰竭73例,心前区杂音6例和其它症状6例.84例经造影均见MR,其中61例(73%)为MVP.75例超声心动图图象满意,其中57例(75%)见MVP或连枷样二尖瓣.1例作二尖瓣瓣环成形术,75例作二尖瓣替换术.切除的二尖瓣均增大冗长,组织学检查见瓣叶和腱索均有广泛的粘液瘤样改变.     

老年退行性心脏瓣膜病的某些临床问题

老年退行性心脏瓣膜病变大部分是正常心脏瓣膜增龄性改变,包括主动脉瓣硬化或钙化致主动脉瓣狭窄或关闭不全、二尖瓣环钙化,少数是粘液样变性致二尖瓣脱垂,是老年人最常见的心脏瓣膜病变,发病率仅次于冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病和高血压病,实际上三者常同时并存.随着人寿命的延长和临床诊断技术的进步,特别是超声心动图和超声多普勒技术的应用,这种瓣膜病变日益引起临床老年病医生的重视。由于退行性心脏瓣膜病变发展过程隐匿     

系统性红斑狼疮患者发生心脏瓣膜病变的临床预测因素的研究

目的分析SLE患者发生心脏瓣膜病变的临床、超声特点及其临床预测因素。方法选取2019年1月至2022年10月我院经超声心动图首次明确诊断的SLE心脏瓣膜病变患者58例, 并按性别、年龄以1∶2匹配该院同期收治的经临床初次确诊系SLE未发生心脏瓣膜病变患者作为对照组, 收集患者入院24 h内的临床超声资料。采用Cox比例风险回归进行分析。结果①瓣膜病变组58例患者中, 瓣膜增厚伴反流50例。瓣膜病变以二尖瓣受累最常见, 其次是主动脉瓣;②SLE合并心脏瓣膜病变组的CRP、狼疮抗凝物比值(SLC-R)、免疫球蛋白A(IgA)和抗心磷脂抗体IgG型(aCL-IgG)比例比对照组高[CRP:60.3%与30.4%, χ2=10.54, P=0.001;SLC-R:63.8%与19.8%, χ2=33.08, P<0.001;IgA:27.6%与22.4%, χ2=16.04, P<0.001;aCL-IgG:27.6%与2.6%, χ2=24.84、P<0.001];③多因素Cox回归分析显示CRP[HR(95%CI)=2.641(1.499, 4.654), P=0.001...     

彩色多普勒成像技术诊断老年人二尖瓣和主动脉瓣病变

我们利用彩色多普勒技术观察老年人二尖瓣及主动脉瓣的病变特点 ,探讨不同病因所导致的瓣膜改变 ,从而为临床诊断及治疗提供必要而准确的依据。1　对象与方法　1 1　对象　我院 1990～ 2 0 0 2年 1月住院及门诊的二尖瓣和主动脉瓣病变患者 ,共 3 840例 ,男 1940例 ,女 190 0例 ,年龄60～ 90岁 (平均 75岁 )。均做心电图、心脏超声、血液化验检查(其中包括血脂、血沉、抗“O”、部分患者做康氏反应 )。冠心病及高血压病 (A组 ) 2 980例 ;风心病 (B组 ) 85 0例 ;梅毒性心脏病(C组 ) 10例。其中 42 0例手术 ,二尖瓣替换术 2 80例、主动脉瓣替…     

脂蛋白相关磷脂酶A2、脂蛋白(a)活性水平与退行性心脏瓣膜病的相关性

目的:探讨人血浆脂蛋白相关磷脂酶A2(Lp-PLA2)、脂蛋白(a)[LP(a)]与老年退行性心脏瓣膜病(SDHVD)的关系。方法:收集364例纳入试验患者的临床资料及血标本,根据超声心动图检查结果,分为瓣膜钙化组及正常对照组,并根据钙化病变所累及瓣膜情况分为不同的亚组:单纯主动脉瓣钙化(AVC)、单纯二尖瓣钙化(MVC)、主动脉瓣和二尖瓣联合病变(AVC+MVC)。检测所有患者血清Lp-PLA2、LP(a)水平,研究两种炎性因子与SDHVD的相关性。结果:心脏瓣膜钙化病变主要累及主动脉瓣(68.8%),明显高于单纯二尖瓣和联合瓣膜病变(P0.05),且瓣膜钙化组血脂异常、动脉粥样硬化等检出率均高于对照组(P0.05);瓣膜钙化组患者血清Lp-PLA2、LP(a)较正常对照组明显升高,差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论:炎症反应参与SDHVD的发生发展过程,血清Lp-PLA2、LP(a)水平检测为SDHVD的早期诊断和药物干预提供依据。     

Echocardiography in the evaluation of systolic murmurs of unknown cause

PURPOSE: Systolic murmurs are common, and it is important to know whether physical examination can reliably determine their cause. Therefore, we prospectively assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a cardiac examination in patients without previous echocardiography who were referred for evaluation of a systolic murmur. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In 100 consecutive adults (mean [+/- SD] age of 58 +/- 22 years) who were referred for a systolic murmur of unknown cause, the diagnostic accuracy of the cardiac examination by cardiologists (without provision of clinical history, electrocardiogram, or chest radiograph) was compared with the results of echocardiography. RESULTS: The echocardiographic findings included a normal examination (functional murmur) in 21 patients, aortic stenosis in 29 patients, mitral regurgitation in 30 patients, left or right intraventricular pressure gradient in 11 patients, mitral valve prolapse in 11 patients, ventricular septal defect in 4 patients, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in 3 patients, and associated aortic regurgitation in 28 patients. In 28 (35%) of the 79 patients with organic heart disease, more than one abnormality was found; combined aortic and mitral valve disease was the most frequent combination (n = 22). The sensitivity of the cardiac examination was acceptable for detecting ventricular septal defect (100% [4 of 4]), isolated mitral regurgitation (88% [26 of 36]), aortic stenosis (71% [21 of 29]), and a functional murmur (67% [14 of 21]), but not for intraventricular pressure gradients (18% [2 of 11]), aortic regurgitation (21% [6 of 28]), combined aortic and mitral valve disease (55% [6 of 11]), and mitral valve prolapse (55% [12 of 22]). In 6 patients, the degree of aortic stenosis was misjudged on the clinical examination, mainly because of a severely diminished left ventricular ejection fraction. Significant heart disease was missed completely in only 2 patients. CONCLUSION: In adults with a systolic murmur of unknown cause, a functional murmur can usually be distinguished from an organic murmur. However, the ability of the cardiac examination to assess the exact cause of the murmur is limited, especially if more than one lesion is present. Thus, echocardiography should be performed in patients with systolic murmurs of unknown cause who are suspected of having significant heart disease.     

Comparison of auscultation with two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography in patients with suspected mitral valve prolapse

Auscultation was compared to two-dimensional echocardiography (2D echo) and Doppler ultrasonography in 140 consecutive patients referred for evaluation for suspected mitral valve prolapse (MVP) to asses the precision of the two diagnostic methods. Ninety patients (64%) had midsystolic clicks, of which 42 (47%) had MVP by echocardiography; 6 patients (4%) had MVP by 2D echo but no click on examination. In 15 (17%) of the 90 patients, a click was heard only in the standing or squatting positions and 2D echo did not detect prolapse in the supine position in 10 (67%) of the 15. With auscultation as the reference standard for MVP, 2D echo has a sensitivity of 47% and a specificity of 89%. Of the 140 patients, 51 (36%) had systolic murmurs; Doppler detected mitral and/or tricuspid regurgitation in 26 (50%). In 23 (16%) patients, there was Doppler evidence of mitral or tricuspid regurgitation even though systolic murmurs were not heard. Auscultation shows a 53% sensitivity and 73% specificity for systolic murmurs, using Doppler ultrasonography as the reference standard. Of 48 patients with MVP by 2D echo, 15 (13%) had associated mitral regurgitation by Doppler. The results indicate that 2D echo and Doppler ultrasonography should be interpreted in concert with auscultation for the diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse and for therapeutic decision making.     

Etiology and diagnosis of systolic murmurs in adults

Background

It is unknown whether echocardiography can provide insights into the origin of systolic murmurs and the modern value of bedside cardiovascular diagnosis.

Methods

The author examined 376 inpatients and compared their physical findings to transthoracic echocardiography, exploring the associations between echocardiography and systolic murmurs and investigating the diagnostic accuracy of physical examination for pathologic murmurs.

Results

Four echocardiographic variables predict the presence of systolic murmurs: peak aortic velocity (P <.001); mitral regurgitation severity (P <.001); mitral valve E-point velocity (P = .09); and absence of pericardial effusion (P = .09). When diagnosing murmurs, the most helpful finding is its distribution on the chest wall with respect to the 3^rd left parasternal space, a landmark that distinguishes murmurs into 6 patterns. The “apical-base” pattern indicates increased aortic velocity (likelihood ratio [LR] 9.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]; 6.7-14): a delayed carotid upstroke (LR 6.8; 95% CI; 4.0-11.5); absent S2 (LR 12.7; 95% CI; 5.3-30.4); and humming quality to the murmur (LR 8.5; 95% CI; 4.3-16.5) further increase the probability of aortic valve disease. The “broad apical” murmur pattern suggests significant mitral regurgitation (LR 6.8; 95% CI; 3.9-11.9); and the “left lower sternal” murmur pattern indicates significant tricuspid regurgitation (LR 8.4; 95% CI; 3.5-20.3): additional bedside observations refine these diagnoses. Nonetheless, this study shows that some classic physical findings are no longer accurate, that physical examination cannot reliably distinguish severe aortic stenosis from less severe stenosis, and that classic physical findings, despite having proven value, are absent in many patients with significant cardiac lesions.

Conclusions

In the diagnosis of systolic murmurs, physical examination has limitations but also unappreciated value. A simple system using onomatopoeia and classifying systolic murmurs into 1 of 6 patterns is diagnostically helpful.     

Pulsed Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of valvular regurgitation in patients with mitral valve prolapse: comparison with normal subjects

Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to determine prospectively the prevalence of mitral, aortic, tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation in 80 consecutive patients with mitral valve prolapse and 85 normal subjects with similar age and sex distribution. Mitral valve prolapse was defined by posterior systolic displacement of the mitral valve on M-mode echocardiography of 3 mm or more (40 patients), the presence of one or more mid- or late systolic clicks (61 patients), or both. Mitral regurgitation, detected by pulsed Doppler techniques in 53 patients with prolapse, was holosystolic in 24, early to mid-systolic in 6, late systolic in 15 and both holosystolic and late systolic behind different portions of the valve in 8. Definitive M-mode findings were present in only 27 of the 53 patients, and only 21 had mitral regurgitation audible on physical examination. Tricuspid regurgitation was evident by pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 15 patients (holosystolic in 9, early to mid-systolic in 1, late systolic in 4 and both holosystolic and late systolic in 1); 12 of these 15 patients, including all with an isolated late systolic pattern, had an echocardiographic pattern of tricuspid prolapse, but none had audible tricuspid regurgitation. A Doppler pattern compatible with aortic regurgitation was recorded in seven patients, all without echocardiographic aortic valve prolapse and only two with audible aortic insufficiency. A Doppler shift in the right ventricular outflow tract in diastole, suggestive of pulmonary regurgitation, was recorded in 16 of the 78 patients with an adequate Doppler examination: only 1 of the 16 had audible pulmonary insufficiency. Of the 85 normal subjects without audible regurgitation, pulsed Doppler examination detected mitral regurgitation in 3 subjects (holosystolic in 1 and early to mid-systolic in 2), aortic regurgitation in none, tricuspid regurgitation in 9 (holosystolic alone in 8 and both holosystolic and late systolic in 1) and right ventricular outflow tract turbulence compatible with pulmonary insufficiency in 15. The prevalence of valvular regurgitation, detected by pulsed Doppler echocardiography, is high in patients with mitral valve prolapse. Regurgitation may involve any of the four cardiac valves and is clinically silent in the majority of patients. The prevalence rates of mitral and aortic regurgitation are significantly higher in patients with mitral prolapse than in normal subjects, suggesting that alterations in underlying valve structure in the prolapse syndrome may indeed be responsible for this regurgitation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Comparison of cardiac catheterization and Doppler echocardiography in the decision to operate in aortic and mitral valve disease

Clinical decisions utilizing either Doppler echocardiographic or cardiac catheterization data were compared in adult patients with isolated or combined aortic and mitral valve disease. A clinical decision to operate, not operate or remain uncertain was made by experienced cardiologists given either Doppler echocardiographic or cardiac catheterization data. A prospective evaluation was performed on 189 consecutive patients (mean age 67 years) with valvular heart disease who were being considered for surgical treatment on the basis of clinical information. All patients underwent cardiac catheterization and detailed Doppler echocardiographic examination. Three sets of two cardiologist decision makers who did not know patient identity were given clinical information in combination with either Doppler echocardiographic or cardiac catheterization data. The combination of Doppler echocardiographic and clinical data was considered inadequate for clinical decision making in 21% of patients with aortic and 5% of patients with mitral valve disease. The combination of cardiac catheterization and clinical data was considered inadequate in 2% of patients with aortic and 2% of patients with mitral valve disease. Among the remaining patients, the cardiologists using echocardiographic or angiographic data were in agreement on the decision to operate or not operate in 113 (76% overall). When the data were analyzed by specific valve lesion, decisions based on Doppler echocardiography or catheterization were in agreement in 92%, 90%, 83% and 69%, respectively, of patients with aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation. Differences in cardiac output determination, estimation of valvular regurgitation and information concerning coronary anatomy were the main reasons for different clinical management decisions. These results suggest that for most adult patients with aortic or mitral valve disease, alone or in combination, Doppler echocardiographic data enable the clinician to make the same decision reached with catheterization data.     

Prevalence of regurgitant murmurs in patients with valvular regurgitation detected by Doppler echocardiography

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between heart valve regurgitation detected by Doppler echocardiography and audible regurgitant murmurs. DESIGN: Consecutive sample. SETTING: Adult echocardiography laboratory in a tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: Sequential sample of 408 patients presenting for clinical echocardiographic studies who had technically satisfactory studies and were available for auscultation. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Valvular regurgitation occurred in 43% of patients at the mitral valve, 39% of patients at the tricuspid valve, 33% of patients at the aortic valve, and 15% of patients at the pulmonic valve. Corresponding regurgitant murmurs were frequently absent. A murmur corresponding to Doppler-detected regurgitation was detected in 56% of patients with mitral regurgitation, 61% of patients with aortic regurgitation, 28% of patients with tricuspid regurgitation, and 15% of patients with pulmonic regurgitation. There was a highly significant positive correlation of audibility with severity of valve regurgitation for the aortic, tricuspid, and mitral valves. Audibility ranged from 10% to 40% for mild regurgitation to 86% to 100% for severe regurgitation. Murmur audibility was not related to the type of valvular disease present. CONCLUSIONS: Doppler echocardiography is a sensitive method for detecting valve regurgitation. Corresponding regurgitant murmurs are frequently not present. The audibility of regurgitant murmur is highly dependent on the severity of valve regurgitant and has little relation to the type of valve disease present.     

Doppler echocardiography diagnosis and classification of the degree of aortic valve insufficiency in patients with aortic stenoses and mitral valve diseases

To test the capacity of pulsed Doppler echocardiography in the detection and quantification of aortic regurgitation, 64 consecutive patients with aortic and mitral valve disease were examined clinically and by echocardiography before cardiac catheterization. The severity of aortic regurgitation was determined angiographically (I-IV) and compared with the extent of the regurgitant jet in the left ventricle measured by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. In 15 of 64 patients neither angiography nor pulsed Doppler echocardiography showed aortic regurgitation (specificity 100%). Apart from 3 patients with poor echo quality pulsed Doppler echocardiography correctly detected aortic regurgitation in 46 of 49 patients (sensitivity 94%). Clinical examination (63%) and M-mode echocardiography (63%) were significantly less sensitive than Doppler echocardiography (p less than 0.001). The pulsed Doppler echocardiographic degree of aortic regurgitation correlated strongly with angiography (corrected contingency coefficient 0.91). In patients with severe aortic stenosis (systolic gradient greater than 50 mm Hg) aortic regurgitation I was slightly overestimated by pulsed Doppler echocardiography (p less than 0.003). Differentiation of aortic regurgitation III and IV was not possible. Mitral valve disease did not affect quantification of aortic regurgitation (n = 23).     

Evidence for progression from mild to severe mitral regurgitation in mitral valve prolapse

Little information is available concerning the progression of mild to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). This study reports 86 patients, average age 60 years, who presented with cardiac symptoms, precordial systolic murmur, severe MR and a high incidence of MVP on echocardiography (57 of 75 [75%] ) and left ventriculography (61 of 84 [73%] ). Seventy-five surgically excised mitral valves appeared grossly enlarged and floppy. Histologic studies showed extensive myxomatous changes throughout the leaflets and chordae. Eighty patients had had precordial murmurs first described at average age 34 years, but the average age at which symptoms of cardiac dysfunction appeared was 59. However, once symptoms developed, mitral valve surgery was required within 1 year in 67 of 76 patients who had undergone surgery. Atrial fibrillation, present in 48 of 86 patients (56%), or ruptured chordae tendineae, present in 39 of 76 patients (51%), may have contributed to this rapid progression and deterioration. Additionally, 13 patients had a remote history of documented infective endocarditis. Twenty-eight patients had at least 1 type of serial clinical evaluation that indicated progressive MR in all 28 patients on the basis of changing auscultatory findings (24 of 26), progressive radiographic cardiomegaly (24 of 25), echocardiographic left atrial enlargement (4.3 to 5 cm in 11 patients) and angiographically worsening MR (14 of 15). Twenty-four of these patients had evidence of MVP on at least 1 of their initial studies. Thus, mild MR due to MVP and myxomatous mitral valves is a progressive disease in some patients with MVP.     

The clinical spectrum of tricuspid regurgitation detected by pulsed Doppler echocardiography

The clinical diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is often difficult. Two-dimensional pulsed Doppler echocardiography offers a sensitive and specific method for detecting and semi-quantitating tricuspid regurgitation. The clinical, radiographic, radionuclide, echocardiographic, and when available, the right cardiac catheterization findings were evaluated in 36 patients with a diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation by pulsed Doppler. Ten healthy subjects served as controls. The underlying cardiac cause was rheumatic heart disease in 7 (20%), ischemic heart disease in 12 (33%), dilated cardiomyopathy in 5 (14%), hypertensive heart disease in 2 (5%), aortic valve stenosis and/or regurgitation in 3 (8%), mitral valve prolapse with mitral regurgitation in 1 (3%), and congenital heart disease in 6 (17%). Seven patients (19%) had a temporary or permanent transvenous right ventricular pacing wire. A systolic murmur was heard in 29 patients (81%) with 16 (46%) having an elevated jugular venous pressure. Tricuspid regurgitation was clinically suspected in only 2 patients (6%). Isolated tricuspid regurgitation was uncommon, seen in 6 patients (17%), and usually secondary to congenital heart disease, ischemic heart disease, with the use of a transvenous pacing wire and following mitral valve replacement. Right cardiac catheterization was performed in 10 patients, of which 7 demonstrated elevated right atrial and pulmonary artery pressure. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography offers a practical and accurate method of detecting and evaluating the severity of tricuspid regurgitation. Tricuspid regurgitation is generally a functional disorder, and frequently occurs in association with left sided valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy or congenital heart disease.     

A systolic murmur is a common presentation of aortic regurgitation detected by echocardiography

BACKGROUND: The finding of aortic regurgitation at a classical examination is a diastolic murmur. HYPOTHESIS: Aortic regurgitation is more likely to be associated with a systolic than with a diastolic murmur during routine screening by a noncardiologist physician. METHODS: In all, 243 asymptomatic patients (mean age 42 +/- 10 years) with no known cardiac disease but at risk for aortic valve disease due to prior mediastinal irradiation (> or = 35 Gy) underwent auscultation by a noncardiologist followed by echocardiography. A systolic murmur was considered benign if it was grade < or = II/VI, not holosystolic, was not heard at the apex, did not radiate to the carotids, and was not associated with a diastolic murmur. RESULTS: Of the patients included, 122 (49%) were male, and 86 (35%) had aortic regurgitation, which was trace in 20 (8%), mild in 52 (21%), and moderate in 14 (6%). A systolic murmur was common in patients with aortic regurgitation, occurring in 12 (86%) with moderate, 26 (50%) with mild, 6 (30%) with trace, and 27 (17%) with no aortic regurgitation (p < 0.0001). The systolic murmurs were classified as benign in 21 (78%) patients with mild and 8 (67%) with moderate aortic regurgitation. Diastolic murmurs were rare, occurring in two (14%) with moderate, two (4%) with mild, and three (2%) with no aortic regurgitation (p=0.15). CONCLUSIONS: An isolated systolic murmur is a common auscultatory finding by a noncardiologist in patients with moderate or milder aortic regurgitation. A systolic murmur in patients at risk for aortic valve disease should prompt a more thorough physical examination for aortic regurgitation.