A narrowing of the valve opening between the lower left chamber of the heart and the aorta.
A condition in which the aortic valve is narrow, caused by rheumatic fever.
Narrowing or stricture of the aortic valve, due to congenital malformation or the result of disease (e.g., rheumatic fever), that obstructs the flow of blood from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta, leading to decreased cardiac output. Symptoms include faint pulse in the extremities, systolic murmur, and exercise intolerance. Children with aortic stenosis are usually restricted from strenuous sports activities (e.g., football). Treatment involves surgical repair of the valve.
Obstruction or narrowing of the aortic valve causing significant reduction of blood flow from the left ventricle, resulting in decreased cardiac output.
Narrowing of the valve connecting the heart to the body’s main artery (aorta). Because the narrowing partially blocks the outflow of blood from the heart to the aorta, blood flow to the body is reduced, and the heart must work harder to compensate. The greater workload can enlarge the heart chamber known as the left ventricle, where the aortic valve is located. Congestive heart failure is life-threatening, can result. Aortic stenosis is more severe if the coronary arteries are narrowed by fat deposits because the enlarged heart is deprived of the blood supply it needs.
Narrowing of the opening of the aortic valve due to fusion of the cusps that comprise the valve. It may result from previous rheumatic fever, or from calcification and scarring in a valve that has two cusps instead of the normal three, or it may be congenital. Aortic stenosis obstructs the flow of blood from the left ventricle to the aorta during systole. Breathlessness on effort, angina pectoris, and fainting may follow. The patient has a systolic murmur. When symptoms develop the valve should be replaced surgically with a mechanical prosthesis (such as a Stan-Edwards ball-cage valve) or with an aortic valve graft.
Narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart which obstructs the flow of blood through it, with serious effects on the heart and the circulation. The muscle in the left ventricle works harder to compensate for the obstruction and thickens as a result. Stenosis is usually caused by the deposition of calcium on the valve and is commonly associated with atheroma: Untreated, the condition leads to heart failure, but nowadays the stenosis can be treated surgically.
An impairment of blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta due to aortic valve disease or obstructions just above or below the valve. Stenosis may be congenital or secondary to diseases of adolescence or adulthood (e.g., rheumatic fever or fibrocalcific degeneration of the valve). It is the most common cardiac valve dysfunction in the U.S.
In the intricate realm of cardiovascular physiology, a notable phenomenon arises within the artery responsible for conveying blood from the heart to the entire body. This phenomenon, known as arterial stiffening, entails a loss of elasticity and suppleness in the arterial walls, resulting in reduced flexibility and impaired functionality of the vessel.
The constricting of the aortic valve’s opening, which is one of the valves in the heart, leads to an obstruction in the circulation of blood. Aortic stenosis imposes greater workload on the heart and induces the thickening of the muscle in the wall of the left ventricle, which serves as the primary pumping chamber. Furthermore, the narrowing of the valve diminishes the volume of blood that flows into the coronary arteries, the vital conduits responsible for supplying oxygen-rich blood to the heart tissues.
The primary factor contributing to aortic stenosis is the accumulation of calcium on the aortic valve. This calcium deposition is commonly linked to atherosclerosis, which involves the build-up of fatty deposits. Additionally, aortic stenosis can arise from a congenital anomaly present since birth.
Aortic stenosis can often remain asymptomatic and may be incidentally detected during routine medical examinations when a doctor identifies an abnormal heart sound known as a murmur. This murmur is typically heard over the front of the chest wall to the right of the sternum (breastbone) and sometimes extending into the neck. However, when symptoms do manifest, they may include episodes of fainting, persistent fatigue, chest pain during physical exertion (referred to as angina pectoris), and difficulties with breathing. In advanced stages, additional indications such as a weakened pulse and cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) may also become evident.
To diagnose aortic stenosis, medical professionals may conduct various diagnostic procedures including a chest X-ray, an electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess the heart’s electrical activity, and echocardiography which utilizes sound waves to create images of the heart’s structures. Additionally, a cardiac catheter, a flexible tube inserted into the heart through blood vessels, can be employed to determine the extent of the stenosis.
In cases of aortic stenosis, it may be necessary to undergo heart-valve surgery in order to expand or replace the impaired valve.
The constriction of the aortic valve in the heart caused by rheumatic heart disease. As the heart enlarges in an effort to push more blood through the restricted valve, it eventually leads to heart failure.
Constriction of the aorta, often specifically pointing to a tightening of the aortic valve region in the heart.