Mild Aortic Regurgitation

Virtual Auscultation

The patient's position is sitting leaning forward.

Lesson

In mild aortic regurgitation murmurs, the first heart sound is diminished due to premature closure of the mitral valve leaflets. An aortic ejection click follows the first heart sound by 75 milliseconds and the second heart sound is normal. Systole is silent. A high-pitched decrescendo murmur occupying the first half of diastole can be heard beginning immediately after the second heart sound.

This murmur should be auscultated at Erb's Point, and can be accentuated by having the patient sitting up and leaning forward holding his breath after expiration.

The murmur can be caused by a bicuspid (thickened) aortic valve. In the cardiac animation, observe turbulent blood flow from the aorta into the left ventricle in early diastole. Also observe the minimally thickened aortic valve leaflets.

Waveform

Heart Sounds Video