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The vibratory innocent heart murmur studied by echo-Doppler
Insights
This study investigated innocent heart murmurs in children, finding no evidence of left ventricular outflow tract narrowing using Doppler echocardiography. Further research is needed to confirm the origin of these common, harmless heart sounds.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Diagnostic Ultrasound
Background:
- Innocent heart murmurs are common in children.
- A leading theory suggests they originate from physiologic narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the theory of left ventricular outflow tract narrowing as the cause of innocent heart murmurs.
- To detect local bloodstream disturbances using pulsed Doppler echocardiography.
Main Methods:
- Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used in 20 children.
- Evaluated peak velocity, acceleration, and Doppler spectra width.
- Objective computed digital analysis of data.
Main Results:
- No statistical difference was found in Doppler parameters between children with and without innocent heart murmurs.
- The study did not confirm left ventricular outflow tract narrowing as the murmur's origin.
Conclusions:
- Doppler echocardiography did not support the theory of left ventricular outflow tract narrowing causing innocent heart murmurs.
- The precise origin of vibratory innocent heart murmurs remains unconfirmed by this study.
Abstract:
So-called innocent heart murmurs are thought to be originated by a possible physiologic narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract, accentuated by a higher contractibility of the myocardium in some children. The aim of our studies was to evaluate this theory with pulsed Doppler echocardiography in order to detect possible local bloodstream disturbances. In a study of 20 children, with or without a vibratory innocent heart murmur no statistical difference was found in either peak-velocity, acceleration or width of the Doppler spectra, read out in an objective computed digital way. The hypothetic location of the origin of the vibratory innocent heart murmur in the left ventricular outflow tract has not yet been confirmed with Doppler echocardiography.