Which diastolic murmur heard along the left sternal border is most consistent with aortic regurgitation?

Which diastolic murmur heard along the left sternal border is most consistent with aortic regurgitation?

• A. Aortic regurgitation
• B. Mitral stenosis
• C. Tricuspid regurgitation
• D. Pulmonic stenosis

Answer: (A)

A diastolic murmur heard along the left sternal border that is early and decrescendo is classic for aortic regurgitation. This sound comes from blood flowing backward from the aorta into the left ventricle during early diastole, producing a high-pitched, blowing quality that starts right after S2 and fades as diastole progresses. It is best heard along the left sternal border, and it can be accentuated when the patient leans forward and exhales. Additional clues can include a wide pulse pressure and bounding pulses. Other murmurs don’t fit as well for this description: a mitral stenosis murmur is a diastolic rumble heard best at the apex, not along the left sternal border; a tricuspid regurgitation murmur is holosystolic and heard along the left lower sternal border; a pulmonic stenosis murmur is systolic and heard best at the left upper sternal border.

A diastolic murmur heard along the left sternal border that is early and decrescendo is classic for aortic regurgitation. This sound comes from blood flowing backward from the aorta into the left ventricle during early diastole, producing a high-pitched, blowing quality that starts right after S2 and fades as diastole progresses. It is best heard along the left sternal border, and it can be accentuated when the patient leans forward and exhales. Additional clues can include a wide pulse pressure and bounding pulses.

Other murmurs don’t fit as well for this description: a mitral stenosis murmur is a diastolic rumble heard best at the apex, not along the left sternal border; a tricuspid regurgitation murmur is holosystolic and heard along the left lower sternal border; a pulmonic stenosis murmur is systolic and heard best at the left upper sternal border.