Aortic Regurgitation I: Introduction

Aortic regurgitation is the backward flow of blood from the aorta into the left ventricle during diastole due to improper aortic valve closure. This causes left ventricular volume overload because the ventricle receives both regular blood from the left atrium and regurgitated blood from the aorta, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood effectively.

Aortic regurgitation stems from acute causes like blunt chest trauma and infective endocarditis, or chronic causes including congenital valve abnormalities such as a bicuspid aortic valve, rheumatic fever, collagen vascular diseases, and deterioration of surgically replaced valves. Each cause impairs the aortic valve's ability to close properly.

The left ventricle enlarges and thickens through dilatation and hypertrophy to compensate for the increased blood volume. These adaptive changes initially allow the ventricle to maintain an elevated stroke volume, helping it pump the extra blood and partially offset the effects of regurgitation.

Over time, sustained volume overload increases left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, which transmits backward to raise pressure in the left atrium and pulmonary veins. This elevated pressure can result in pulmonary congestion and heart failure symptoms such as dyspnea and orthopnea.

Chronic aortic regurgitation causes the left ventricle to enlarge and stiffen, raising left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. This increased pressure backs up into the left atrium and pulmonary veins, causing fluid to accumulate in the lungs and resulting in pulmonary congestion and breathing difficulties.

Early diagnosis allows for timely intervention before the heart's compensatory mechanisms fail. Acute cases may require emergent surgical intervention due to rapid symptom onset and hemodynamic instability, while chronic cases benefit from careful monitoring and medical management to delay symptoms and prevent adverse outcomes.

Acute aortic regurgitation develops suddenly from events like blunt chest trauma or infective endocarditis, causing rapid hemodynamic changes and potential emergency symptoms. Chronic aortic regurgitation develops gradually from prolonged processes like rheumatic fever or bicuspid aortic valve, allowing the heart time to adapt before symptoms emerge.