heart murmur

murmur /mur·mur/ (mur´mer) [L.] an auscultatory sound, particularly a periodic sound of short duration of cardiac or vascular origin.

---

anemic murmur  a cardiac murmur heard in anemia.

aortic murmur  one generated by blood flowing through a diseased aorta or aortic valve.

arterial murmur  one over an artery, sometimes aneurysmal and sometimes constricted.

Austin Flint murmur  a presystolic murmur heard at the apex in aortic regurgitation.

cardiac murmur  one of finite length generated by turbulence of blood flow through the heart.

Carey Coombs murmur  a rumbling mid-diastolic murmur occurring in the active phase of rheumatic fever.

continuous murmur  a humming cardiac murmur heard throughout systole and diastole.

Cruveilhier-Baumgarten murmur  one heard at the abdominal wall over veins connecting the portal and caval systems.

diastolic murmurs  cardiac murmurs heard during diastole, usually due to semilunar valve regurgitation or to altered blood flow through atrioventricular valves.

Duroziez's murmur  a double murmur over the femoral or other large peripheral artery; due to aortic insufficiency.

ejection murmur  a type of systolic murmur usually heard in midsystole when ejection volume and velocity of blood flow are maximal, such as in aortic or pulmonary stenosis.

extracardiac murmur  one heard over the heart but originating from another structure.

friction murmur  see rub.

functional murmur  a cardiac murmur generated in the absence of organic cardiac disease.

Gibson murmur  a long, rumbling cardiac murmur heard for most of systole and diastole, usually in the second left interspace near the sternum, indicative of patent ductus arteriosus.

Graham Steell's murmur  one due to pulmonary regurgitation in patients with pulmonary hypertension and mitral stenosis.

heart murmur  cardiac m.

innocent murmur  functional m.

machinery murmur  Gibson m.

musical murmur  a cardiac murmur having a periodic harmonic pattern.

organic murmur  one due to a lesion in an organ, e.g., the heart, a vessel, or a lung.

pansystolic murmur  a regurgitant murmur heard throughout systole.

pericardial murmur  see under rub.

prediastolic murmur  a cardiac murmur heard just before and with diastole; due to mitral obstruction, or to aortic or pulmonary regurgitation.

presystolic murmur  a cardiac murmur heard just before ventricular ejection, usually associated with atrial contraction and the acceleration of blood flow through a narrowed atrioventricular valve.

pulmonic murmur  one due to disease of the pulmonary valve or artery.

regurgitant murmur  one due to regurgitation of blood through an abnormal valvular orifice.

seagull murmur  a raucous murmur with musical qualities, such as that heard occasionally in aortic insufficiency.

Still's murmur  a low-frequency, vibratory or buzzing, functional cardiac murmur of childhood, heard in midsystole.

systolic murmurs  cardiac murmurs heard during systole; usually due to mitral or tricuspid regurgitation or to aortic or pulmonary obstruction.

to-and-fro murmur  a friction rub heard in both systole and diastole.

vascular murmur  one heard over a blood vessel.

vesicular murmur  vesicular breath sounds.

---

Heart murmur

Sound during the heartbeat caused by a heart valve that does not close properly.

Mentioned in: Mitral Valve Prolapse

---

heart murmur.

See cardiac murmur.

---

Murmur

An auscultatory sound of cardiac or vascular origin, usually caused by an abnormal flow of blood in the heart due to structural defects of the valves or septum; murmurs may be benign or pathological

---

heart sounds 

the sounds heard on the surface of the chest in the heart region; they are amplified by and heard more distinctly through a stethoscope. They are caused by the vibrations generated during the normal cardiac cycle and may be produced by muscular action, valvular actions, motion of the heart, or blood passing through the heart.

The first heart sound (S₁) is heard as a firm but dull “lubb” sound. It consists of four components: a low-frequency, indistinct vibration caused by ventricular contraction; a louder sound of higher frequency caused by closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves; a vibration caused by opening of the semilunar valves and early ejection of blood from the ventricles; and a low-pitched vibration produced by rapid ejection.

The second heart sound (S₂) is shorter and higher pitched than the first, is heard as a “dupp” and is produced by closure of the aortic and pulmonary valves.

The third heart sound (S₃) is very faint and is caused by blood rushing into the ventricles. It can be heard in most normal persons between the ages of 10 and 20 years.

The fourth heart sound (S₄) is rarely audible in a normal heart but can be demonstrated on graphic records. It is short and of low frequency and intensity, and is caused by atrial contraction. The vibrations arise from atrial muscle and from blood flow into, and distention of, the ventricles.

Abnormalities in Heart Sounds. Decreased compliance of a ventricle is characterized by a gallop or triple rhythm. Accentuation of the third heart sound (protodiastolic or ventricular gallop) is caused by the filling of a poorly compliant ventricle with blood under high venous pressure. A presystolic or atrial gallop is an accentuated fourth heart sound and is also caused by blood filling a poorly compliant ventricle. Merging of the third and fourth heart sounds is called a mesodiastolic or summation gallop. A very rare abnormality in which four heart sounds are heard distinctly is called a “locomotive” rhythm.

Heart Murmurs are sounds other than the normal heart sounds emanating from the heart region. They are often heard as blowing or hissing sounds as blood leaks back through diseased and malfunctioning valves or as blood is pushed through narrowed or stenotic valve orifices.

Precordial locations for cardiac palpation and auscultation of heart sounds. Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves produces the S₁ heart sound; closure of the pulmonic and aortic (semilunar) valves produces the S₂ sound. From Polaski and Tatro, 1996.

---

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.

Austin Flint murmur a loud presystolic murmur at the apex heard when aortic regurgitation is preventing the mitral valve from closing; called also Flint's murmur.

blood murmur one due to an abnormal, commonly anemic, condition of the blood. Called also hemic murmur.

cardiac murmur heart 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.

diastolic murmur a heart murmur heard at diastole, due to mitral obstruction or to aortic or pulmonic regurgitation with forward flow across the atrioventricular valve; it has a rumbling quality.

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.

Flint's murmur Austin Flint murmur.

friction murmur friction rub.

functional murmur a heart murmur occurring in the absence of structural changes in the heart, usually due to high cardiac output states. Called also innocent murmur and physiologic murmur.

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.

Graham Steell murmur a high-pitched diastolic murmur due to pulmonic regurgitation in patients with pulmonary hypertension and mitral stenosis.

heart murmur see heart murmur.

hemic murmur blood murmur.

innocent murmur functional murmur.

machinery murmur Gibson murmur.

mitral murmur a heart murmur due to disease of the mitral valve; it can be either obstructive or regurgitant.

musical murmur one that has a periodic harmonic pattern; it may be either a heart murmur or a vascular murmur.

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.

pansystolic murmur a regurgitant murmur heard throughout systole, due to blood flow between two chambers normally of very different pressures in systole; the most common causes are mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation, and ventricular septal defects.

physiologic murmur functional murmur.

prediastolic murmur one occurring just before and with diastole, due to aortic regurgitation or pulmonic regurgitation.

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.

regurgitant murmur a heart murmur due to a dilated valvular orifice with consequent valvular regurgitation.

seagull murmur a raucous murmur resembling the call of a seagull, frequently heard in aortic stenosis or mitral regurgitation.

Still's murmur a functional heart murmur of childhood, with a buzzing or vibratory tone heard in midsystole; it usually disappears by puberty.

systolic murmur a heart murmur heard at systole, usually due to mitral or tricuspid regurgitation or to aortic or pulmonary obstruction.

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.

---

heart,

n the muscular pump that maintains and regulates the flow of blood through the body.

heart, artificial,

n a mechanical device that acts to pump blood to and from the body tissues during repair of the heart.

heart attack,

n See myocardial infarction; thrombosis, coronary; or occlusion, coronary.

heart block,

n the condition in which the muscular interconnection between the auricle and ventricle is interrupted so that the auricle and ventricle beat independently of each other.

heart, compression of,

n See massage, cardiac.

heart defect,

n a fault in the structural integrity of the heart.

heart defect, congenital,

n the structural errors in the heart formed during embryonic and fetal life.

heart disease,

n a disorder in the normal functioning of the heart.

heart disease, dental concerns,

n.pl the special considerations taken to eliminate oral disease by maintaining an elevated level of oral health and prevent infective endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves that may be caused by bacteremia created during dental treatments. Heart disease has also been linked with increased levels of periodontal disease.

heart disease, ischemic,

n See disease, heart, ischemic.

heart disease risk factors,

n.pl the hereditary, lifestyle, and environmental influences that increase one's chances of developing heart disease.

heart massage,

n See massage, cardiac.

heart murmur,

n the sound of blood flowing back through a defective heart valve. Two types are possible: organic or functional.

heart, normal,

n a heart without anatomic defects that could cause an impairment in the function of the organ.

heart rate,

n the rate or tempo of heart contractions recorded in beats per minute.

heart sounds,

n.pl the normal noises produced within the heart during the cardiac cycle that can be heard over the precordium and may reveal abnormalities in cardiac structure or function. The use of the stethoscope over the left side of the chest is a common clinical technique to assess heart function. The typical sounds are a rythmic lub dup; abnormal sounds include clicks, murmurs, rubs, snaps, and gallops.

heart surgery,

n a surgical procedure involving the heart, performed to correct acquired or congenital defects, to replace diseased valves, to open or bypass blocked vessels, or to graft a prosthesis or a transplant in place.

heart valves,

n.pl one of the four structures within the heart that prevent backflow of blood by opening and closing with each heartbeat. They include two semilunar valves, the aortic and pulmonary; the mitral, or bicuspid, valve; and the tricuspid valve. They permit the flow of blood in only one direction, and any one of the valves may become defective, permitting the backflow associated with heart murmurs.

---

murmur,

n a humming or blowing sound heard on auscultation.

murmur, aortic,

a murmur resulting from insufficiency of the aortic valve secondary to involvement by rheumatic fever or tertiary syphilis.

murmur, apical diastolic,

n a murmur heard over the apex of the heart and caused by mitral stenosis, relative mitral stenosis, or aortic insufficiency.

murmur, apical systolic,

n a murmur heard at the apex of the heart in systole and caused by mitral insufficiency, which may result from rheumatic heart disease, or by relative mitral insufficiency, which may result from congestive heart failure associated with arteriosclerosis or hypertension. It may also have a functional basis.

murmur, basal diastolic,

n a murmur heard over the base of the heart and caused by aortic insufficiency resulting from rheumatic heart disease or syphilis, relative aortic insufficiency associated with diastolic hypertension, or a patent ductus arteriosus.

murmur, basal systolic,

n a murmur heard over the base of the heart and caused by aortic stenosis resulting from rheumatic heart disease or by relative stenosis of the aortic valve resulting from aortic dilation secondary to arteriosclerosis or hypertension. It may also be functional or may result from congenital heart or vascular defects.

murmur, cardiac,

n (heart murmur), an abnormal sound heard in the region of the heart at any time during the heart's cycle. They may be named according to the area of generation (mitral, aortic, pulmonary, or tricuspid) and according to the period of the cycle (diastolic or systolic).

murmur, functional,

n (innocent murmur, inorganic murmur), a murmur resulting from the position of the body, severe anemia, or polycythemia. Not related to structural changes in the heart.

murmur, heart,

n See murmur, cardiac.

murmur, innocent,

n See murmur, functional.

murmur, inorganic,

n See murmur, functional.

murmur, mitral,

n a heart murmur produced by a defect in the mitral valve. It is the most common form of murmur in rheumatic heart disease.

murmur, organic,

n a murmur resulting from structural changes in the heart or in the great vessels of the heart.

---

murmur

an auscultatory sound, particularly a periodic sound of short duration of cardiac or vascular origin.

---

anemic murmur

see blood murmur (below).

aortic murmur

a sound indicative of disease of the aortic valve.

apex murmur

one 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 anemic murmur.

cardiac murmur

see heart murmur (below).

cardiopulmonary murmur

one produced by the impact of the heart against the lung.

continuous murmur

a humming murmur heard throughout systole and diastole.

crescendo murmur

one marked by progressively increasing loudness.

crescendo-decrescendo murmur

one with increasing intensity until mid- to late systole, then a decreasing intensity, giving a diamond-shaped tracing on phonocardiography. Characteristic of pulmonary stenosis.

decrescendo murmur

one with an intensity that gradually decreases. Heard during diastole in aortic or pulmonary valvular insufficiency.

diamond-shaped murmur

refers to the phonocardiographic tracing of a crescendo-decrescendo murmur.

diastolic murmur

one at diastole, due to mitral obstruction or to aortic or pulmonary regurgitation.

ejection murmur

systolic murmur heard predominantly in mid-systole, when ejection volume and velocity of blood flow are at their maximum.

friction murmur

friction rub.

functional murmur

a cardiac murmur occurring in the absence of structural changes in the heart.

heart murmur

any adventitious sound heard over the region of the heart. It may indicate a leaking or stenotic valve, a congenital patency between the right and left sides of the heart, or be a functional murmur which does not indicate cardiac disease. These occur in young foals, some of them disappear before maturity.

hemic murmur

see blood murmur (above).

innocent murmur

one caused by increased velocity of blood rather than a cardiac lesion.

machinery murmur, machinery-like murmur

a long, rumbling sound occupying most of systole and diastole. Characteristic of patent ductus arteriosus and arteriovenous fistulas.

mitral murmur

one due to disease of the mitral valve.

musical murmur

a cardiac murmur having a periodic harmonic pattern.

organic murmur

one due to structural change in the heart.

pansystolic murmur

one heard throughout systole.

prediastolic murmur

one occurring just before and with diastole, due to mitral obstruction or to aortic or pulmonary regurgitation.

presystolic murmur

one occurring shortly before the onset of ventricular ejection, usually associated with a narrowed atrioventricular valve.

pulmonary murmur

one due to disease of the valves of the pulmonary artery.

radiating heart murmur

one which is heard over a wider area or over another area. The systolic murmur of subaortic stenosis radiates up the aortic arch and carotid arteries. It can be heard over the right, as well as left, heart base and occasionally over the head.

regurgitant murmur

one due to a dilated valvular orifice, with consequent regurgitation of blood through the valve.

seagull murmur

a raucous murmur resembling the call of a seagull, frequently heard in aortic insufficiency.

systolic murmur

one occurring at systole, usually due to mitral or tricuspid regurgitation, or to aortic or pulmonary obstruction.

tricuspid murmur

one caused by disease of the tricuspid valve.

vascular murmur

one heard over a blood vessel.

vesicular murmur

the normal breath sounds heard over the lungs.

---

heart murmur

  See Murmur.

---

Patient discussion about heart murmur.

Q. What is a Heart Murmur? My friend told me that some people have a heart murmor and it is normal. Is that possible? What is a heart murmur?

A. A heart murmur is a sound that is created by inadequate blood flow through the heart and its large vessels, for example the aorta. Some are born with a heart murmur and further testing doesn't reveal any significant problem. This is called a physiological murmur.
http://www.5min.com/Video/What-is-Innocent-Heart-Murmur-5501

Q. How are Heart Murmurs Classified? What are the characteristics of different heart murmurs?

A. Murmurs can be classified by different characteristics: timing, shape, location, radiation, intensity and more. Timing refers to whether the murmur is a systolic or diastolic murmur. Shape refers to the intensity over time. Location refers to where the heart murmur is auscultated best. The general rule of thumb is that the sound radiates in the direction of the blood flow. Intensity refers to the loudness of the murmur, and is graded on a scale from 0-6/6.

Read more or ask a question about heart murmur