Aortic Regurgitation

Key points

• Features: early diastolic murmur · collapsing pulse · wide pulse pressure
• Severe AR: mid-diastolic Austin-Flint murmur — partial closure of anterior mitral valve cusps caused by the regurgitant streams
• Valve disease causes: rheumatic fever · infective endocarditis · connective tissue diseases (RA/SLE) · bicuspid aortic valve
• Aortic root disease causes: aortic dissection · spondylarthropathies (ankylosing spondylitis) · hypertension · syphilis · Marfan's · Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• William's syndrome is associated with supravalvular aortic stenosis, not aortic regurgitation