murmur
[mer´mer] an auscultatory sound, benign or pathologic, loud or soft, particularly a periodic sound of short duration of cardiac or vascular origin.
aortic murmur a sound indicative of disease of the aortic valve.
apex murmur (
apical murmur) a
heart murmur heard over the apex of the heart.
arterial murmur one in an artery, sometimes aneurysmal and sometimes constricted.
blood murmur one due to an abnormal, commonly anemic, condition of the blood. Called also
hemic murmur.
cardiopulmonary murmur one produced by the impact of the heart against the lung.
continuous murmur a humming
heart murmur heard throughout systole and diastole.
crescendo murmur one marked by progressively increasing loudness that suddenly ceases.
Cruveilhier-Baumgarten murmur one heard at the abdominal wall over veins connecting the portal and caval systems.
Duroziez's murmur a double murmur during systole and diastole, palpated over the femoral or another large peripheral artery; due to
aortic insufficiency.
ejection murmur a
systolic murmur heard predominantly in midsystole, when ejection volume and velocity of blood flow are at their maximum; it is produced by ejection of blood into the pulmonary artery and aorta.
Gibson murmur a long rumbling sound occupying most of systole and diastole, usually localized in the second left interspace near the sternum, and usually indicative of
patent ductus arteriosus. Called also
machinery murmur.
mitral murmur a
heart murmur due to disease of the mitral valve; it can be either obstructive or regurgitant.
organic murmur one due to a lesion in the organ or organ system being examined, e.g., in the heart, in a blood vessel, or in lung tissue.
presystolic murmur one shortly before the onset of ventricular ejection, usually associated with a narrowed atrioventricular valve.
pulmonic murmur one due to disease of the pulmonary valve or artery.
Still's murmur a functional
heart murmur of childhood, with a buzzing or vibratory tone heard in midsystole; it usually disappears by puberty.
to-and-fro murmur a friction sound or murmur heard with both
systole and
diastole.
tricuspid murmur a
heart murmur caused by disease of the tricuspid valve; it may be either obstructive or regurgitant.
vascular murmur one heard over a blood vessel.
vesicular murmur vesicular breath sounds.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.