Aortic Regurgitation Flashcards
What is Aortic insufficiency?
Aortic regurgitation
What happens during aortic insufficiency?
Blood moves backwards through the AV from aorta to the left ventricle throughout diastole
What are the 3 groups of mechanisms that can cause AI? 3
- Cuspal abnormalities
- Aortic root dilatation
- Loss of commissures support
Cuspal abnormalities include what? 4
- Congenital abnormalities
- Rheumatic aortic valve disease
- Aortic valve prolapse
- Infective endocarditis
What is Cuspal abnormalities in general?
Any congenital disorder or disease process that affects the AV cusps
What are things we should look for in terms of congenital abnormalities? 2
- Bicuspid AV
- Quadricuspid AV
Wha this Rheumatic AV disease?
Cusp tissue is infiltrated wit fibrous tissue causing them to shorten and retract
What can no longer happen during rheumatic AV disease?
Cups can no longer come together to coapt
Rheumatic AV disease is usually associated with what?
Some degree of Aortic stenosis
How common is aortic valve prolapse?
Rare
What is Aortic valve prolapse defined as?
Cusp leaflet tips displaced below the valve ring during diastole
Aortic valve prolapse maybe due to what? 2
- Myxomatosis degeneration of the valve or due to rheumatic heart disease
- Occur secondary to aortic root dilation or trauma
What is aortic bacterial endocarditis?
Vegetation destroys the AV
What may Aortic bacterial endocarditis may cause?
Perforation of the cusp
What does aortic root dilation prevent?
Normal leaflet coapt action during diastole which leads to AR
What are causes of Aortic dilation? 6
- HTN
- Atherosclerosis
- Connective tissue disorders
- Bicuspid AV
- Sinus of valsalva aneurysm
- Idiopathic dilation
Loss of commissures support may occur with what? 3
- Ventricular septal defects
- Aortic dissections
- Aortic trauma
What are some causes of severe AR? 3
- Trauma
- Infective endocarditis
- Aortic dissection
Acute- severe AI causes an increase in what?
Filling pressures
Mainly LV end diastolic pressure
What is this hole in the AV caused by?
Annular dilation
Why is Acute severe AI mainly in the LVEDP? 2
During diastole we have
1. Normal inflow plus
2. Regurgitation volume leaking back into the LV
During LVEDP Acute means what in terms of acute severe AI?
No time for LV to stretch, therefore LVEDP increases dramatically
What is chronic severe AI pressure?
Filling pressure normal and slightly elevated
In terms of chronic severe AI regurgitation volume causes what?
LV chamber volume to increase over time due to stretching
Chronic severe AI returning eventually leads to what? 2
- Increase in forward volume through AV
- Volume entering LV has increased form the AI (Chamber has dilated to try to accommodate it)
What is Chronic severe overload usually associated with?
Volume overload
Once the LV is dilated in chronic AI what happens? 2
- This leads to near normal filling pressures
- LV MAss will increase (eccentric)
In terms of chronic AI over time the LV may start to do what?
Start to fail at which time the LVEDP will increase
In terms of chronic AI Pressure, overload leads to what?
Volume overload
What are signs and symptoms of AI? 6
- CHF symptoms
- Occasional chest pain with chronic severe AI
- Pulmonary edema with acute AI
- Auscualtion
- ECG (LVH 80%, ventricular arrhythmias)
- Cardiomegaly
Why would someone have occasion chest pain during chronic severe AI?
Increase in LV mass decreases myocardial perfusion causing ischemia
What is a complication of increased LV and LA size and pressure overload for AI? 2
- Leads to pulmonary congestion leading to pulmonary edema, right heart failure, systemic venous congestion and edema
- Edema