Symptoms of Aortic Regurgitation

Aortic regurgitation is characterized by a leaky aortic valve. The symptoms of aortic regurgitation occur because the heart is not efficiently pumping blood.

Patients often will develop fatigue, shortness of breath with exertion, and shortness of breath when laying down. Sometimes people will develop chest pain, or may awaken in the middle of the night with shortness of breath.

The diagnosis of an aortic dissection can be suspected in patients with classic history and physicial findings. These findings include a collapsing pulse, early diastolic murmur, a wide pulse pressure.

Uncommon signs of aortic regurgitation include Quincke’s sign, Becker’s sign, Duroziez sign, Hill’s sign, Traube’s sign, and de Musset’s sign.

Aortic regurgitation can occur because of damage to the aortic valve or because the aorta becomes dilated making the valve inefficient. Aortic regurgitation can occur in the setting of infection, Rheumatic fever, trauma, bicuspid aortic valve, and Marfan’s syndrome.

Symptoms of aortic regurgitation often do not lead directly to the underlying diagnosis and many symptoms can be misleading. Please review all concerns and information found on this website with your health care provider.