Heart murmur

An auscultatory cardiac sound, typically described as a whooshing, blowing, or harsh sound, produced by turbulent blood flow within the heart or across cardiac valves

Causes

• Physiologic causes (innocent murmurs)

  • Exercise

  • Pregnancy

  • Fever

  • Anemia

  • Hyperthyroidism

  • Growth spurts in adolescents

  • Increased cardiac output states

• Valvular stenosis or regurgitation

  • Aortic valve

  • Mitral valve

  • Pulmonary valve

  • Tricuspid valve

• Congenital heart disease

  • Ventricular septal defect

  • Atrial septal defect

  • Patent ductus arteriosus

• Infective endocarditis causing valve destruction and regurgitation

• Inflammatory valvular disorders

• Cardiomyopathies

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy

• High-output circulatory states