Kathryn Statham , Genevieve Carbonatto 1. Aortic root dilatation loss of leaflet coaptation hypertension connective tissue disorders (Marfans etc) 2. Loss of commissural support Aortic dissection VSD Aortic trauma   Aortic root dilatation Aortic root dilatation can cause loss of leaflet coaptation as in the clips below Loss of commissural support Loss of commissural support Read more about 2. Causes of Aortic regurgitation : Aortic root dilatation and Loss of commissural support[…]

  Kathryn Statham , Genevieve Carbonatto Valve destruction and degeneration sclerosis/stenosis infective endocarditis rheumatic heart disease aortic valve prolapse.   1. Valve sclerosis / stenosis 2 -3 % of people will develop  severe AS after the age of 75. If the  leaflets become thick and calcified they are poorly mobile causing them to close incompletely Read more about 1. Causes of Aortic regurgitation : Valve destruction and degeneration[…]

Kathryn Statham , Genevieve Carbonatto Epidemiology The prevalence of chronic AR is 5 -10% (mainly mild AR) The prevalence of moderate to severe AR 0.5 – 2.7% AR increases with age It peaks in the 4th to 6th decade of life It is more common in men than in women A formal ECHO evaluation is Read more about Causes of Aortic regurgitation: Summary[…]

Genevieve Carbonatto The aortic valve  is the centrepiece of the heart It lies between the PV,  the TV and the MV It is wedged between the opening of the mitral and tricuspid valves The normal aortic valve consists of 3 equally sized semilunar leaflets or cusps. The leaflets form a 3 pronged crown-like structure. The Read more about Aortic valve anatomy[…]

Images Ava Ghalini text Genevieve Carbonatto A patient is referred by his GP to the Emergency Department for episodes of exertional upper chest pain over a period of 2 weeks. A troponin organised by his GP was 28. On arrival he is asymptomatic. BP 180/80, HR 100/min. A systolic and loud diastolic murmur is audible Read more about Aortopathy – Aortic root dilatation[…]

Images Bashir Chakar, text Genevieve Carbonatto A 36 year old lady presents with sudden onset of  right lower quadrant pain lasting 20 minutes. One hour later she experiences further abdominal pain prompting her presentation to the Emergency Department.  She has had 2 positive home pregnancy tests. On examination she is minimally tender in her right Read more about Ruptured ectopic, pseudosac[…]

Images Evy Panos, Text Genevieve Carbonatto A 32 year old lady presents by ambulance  to the Emergency Department in shock. She describes having felt dizzy but not unwell and then suddenly collapsed. She remembers being escorted in a wheelchair into an  ambulance. She is 19 weeks pregnant and has had a recent normal ultrasound scan. Read more about Heterotopic pregnancy[…]

Images Evy Panos A 32 year old man presents with right loin pain after a drinking binge. His friends have urged him to attend the Emergency Department because he always complains of  right loin pain after drinking in their company and they would like him to get to the bottom of it. He describes having Read more about Hydronephrosis and aberrant renal artery[…]

Images Nick Stewart text Genevieve Carbonatto A 22 year old patient presents to the Emergency Department with calf pain. On further questioning she has had  a presyncopal event the day of presentation and complains of shortness of breath. She has recently been put on tranexamic acid for heavy menstrual bleeding. She is also on the Read more about Pulmonary Embolism – Right ventricular thrombus[…]

Images Roger Burrell Text Genevieve Carbonatto A 60 year old man presented to the Emergency Department short of breath having a  known right ventricular cardiac tumour with metastases to the lung, liver, spleen and bone. On examination saturating 100% on RA, bilateral pitting pedal oedema, BP, 120/60, HR 68/min. An ECHO was performed in the Read more about Cardiac tumour[…]