Valvular heart disease

Valvular heart disease comprises disorders in which one or more heart valves fail to open or close normally, disrupting blood flow through the heart.

Aortic stenosis: Narrowing of the aortic valve that obstructs blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta. It is a common stenotic lesion that makes the left ventricle pump against increased resistance.
Heart valve: A structure that directs blood through the heart by opening and closing with pressure changes. Valvular disease alters the normal one-way function of these structures.
Echocardiography: Ultrasound imaging of the heart used to assess its structure, motion, and blood flow. It is the principal test for defining valve anatomy and measuring lesion severity.
Rheumatic heart disease: Chronic heart-valve damage caused by an abnormal immune response following group A streptococcal infection. It remains a major cause of mitral valve disease in many parts of the world.
Valve stenosis: A narrowing of a heart valve opening that restricts forward blood flow. It contrasts with regurgitation, which allows blood to flow backward through an incompletely closed valve.
Mitral regurgitation: Backward flow from the left ventricle into the left atrium when the mitral valve fails to close fully. This illustrates how valve leakage can enlarge heart chambers and raise pressure in the lungs.
Aortic valve: The valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. Its opening and closure govern forward flow into the systemic circulation.
Cardiac auscultation: Listening to heart sounds and murmurs with a stethoscope. Abnormal valve flow can create murmurs that prompt further evaluation.
Infective endocarditis: An infection of the heart's inner lining that can damage valves. Infection can rapidly destroy valve tissue and produce severe regurgitation.
Valve regurgitation: Backward blood flow through a heart valve that does not close completely. It produces volume overload, unlike the pressure overload typical of stenosis.

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CardiologyRelated: Valve narrowing or leakage changes cardiac workload and blood flow.