Aortic insufficiency

Alternative names:

aortic regurgitation; aortic valve prolapse

Definition:

A condition in which there is weakening or ballooning of the aortic heart valve, causing the valve to fail to close tightly with subsequent back flow of blood into the ventricle.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Aortic insufficiency is a heart valve disease where the aortic valve no longer functions adequately to control the flow of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta.

Aortic insufficiency can result from any condition that weakens the aortic valve. Rheumatic fever used to be the primary cause of aortic insufficiency. With antibiotic treatment of rheumatic fever, other causes are being seen with increasing frequency. These include congenital conditions, endocarditis, hypertension, Marfan's syndrome, aortic dissection, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, syphilis, and other disorders.

The disorder affects approximately 5 out of 10,000 people. It is most common in men 30 to 60 years old.