Aortic stenosis

Injury Disease Nutrition Poison Symptoms Surgery Test Special Topic

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Heart, section through the middle Heart, front view Aortic stenosis Heart valves

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Aortic stenosis

• fainting or weakness with activity
• breathlessness with activity
• sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations)
• chest pain, angina-type
  • under the sternum, may radiate
  • crushing, squeezing, pressure, tightness
  • increased with exercise, relieved with rest

Note: Aortic stenosis may show no symptoms until late in the course of the disease.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• dizziness

Examination shows a palpable chest thrill or heave (vibration or movement felt by holding the hand over the heart). There is almost always a heart murmur, click, or other abnormal sound on auscultation (examination of the chest with a stethoscope). There may be a faint pulse or changes in the quality of the pulse in the neck (the change in pulse is known as pulsus parvus et tardus). Blood pressure may be low.

Aortic stenosis and/or enlargement of the left ventricle may be revealed on:

• left cardiac catheterization
• echocardiogram (sonogram test of the heart)
• Doppler ultrasonography
• transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
• chest X-ray may show dilation of the aorta.

An ECG may show left-ventricular enlargement or arrhythmias (unusual pattern of heart beats) such as ventricular tachycardia or sinus bradycardia.

This disease may also alter the results of the following:

• a chest MRI
• an aortic angiography

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