Diastolic Flutter of Aortic Valves in Aortic Regurgitation: A Report of Seven Cases

Abstract

Seven patients with aortic regurgitation, manifesting diastolic flutter of the aortic valve cusps (DFAVC) in the echograms, are described. Five patients with infective endocarditis revealed coarse or fine, irregular DFAVC. Two patients with severe aortic regurgitation and a musical murmur manifested regular DFAVC with a frequency identical to that of a simultaneously recorded dias tolic murmur. Of the 5 patients with infective endocarditis, 4 required urgent aortic valve replacement and 1 died. The 2 patients with musical murmurs are clinically stable without surgery. This report extends the clinical spectrum of patients with DFAVC and describes the character of the flutter in patients with musical murmurs. Furthermore, it suggests that DFAVC is a sign of severe aortic regurgitation.

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