Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (patient information)
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Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction Microchapters |
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Differentiating Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction from other Diseases |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief:
Overview
The pulmonary artery is the main artery leaving the heart. When blood leaves the heart, it flows from the lower chamber (the left ventricle), through the pulmonic valve, into the pulmonary artery. In pulmonic stenosis, the pulmonic valve does not open fully. This restricts blood flow from the heart to lungs.
What are the symptoms of pulmonic stenosis?
You may have no symptoms at all until late in the course of the disease. The diagnosis may have been made when your healthcare provider heard a heart murmur and then performed additional tests.
Symptoms in adults:
- Breathlessness with activity.
- Chest pain, which resembles what is known as angina-type pain.
- The pain is crushing, squeezing, pressure or tightness in nature.
- The pain increases with exercise, relieved with rest.
- The patient feels pain under the chest bone, it may move to other areas.
- Fainting, weakness, or dizziness with activity.
- Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations).
What causes aortic stenosis?
In the United States, pulmonic stenosis often results from calcium deposits on the pulmonic valve. These deposits occur naturally with age and have no relationship with the amount of calcium in the diet. Worldwide, aortic stenosis occurs most commonly in those who've had rheumatic fever, a condition that may develop after strep throat or scarlet fever. Valve problems do not develop for 5 - 10 years or longer after rheumatic fever occurs. Rheumatic fever is increasingly rare in the United States. pulmonic stenosis may be present from birth (congenital), or it may develop later in life (acquired). Children with pulmonic stenosis may have other congenital conditions. Radiation treatment to the chest, and some medications may cause pulmonic stenosis. pulmonic stenosis is not common. It occurs more often in men than in women. As the pulmonic valve becomes more narrow, the pressure increases inside the lower chamber of the heart (the right ventricle). This causes the right ventricle to become thicker, decreasing blood flow and can lead to chest pain.
Who is at highest risk?
pulmonic stenosis occurs more often in men than in women. The calcifications that cause most cases of pulmonic stenosis are more likely to occur in patients above the age of 50, who are overweight, who smoke, and who have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These are the same risk factors for atherosclerosis of the coronary blood vessels.
Diagnosis
- Heart murmur: When listening to your heart, your health care provider may hear a new heart murmur associated with aortic stenosis. This murmur is not always there in aortic stenosis. If a new murmur is heard and your health care provider is concerned about aortic stenosis or another form of heart disease, further tests may be ordered. It is important to remember that not all heart murmurs mean you have a harmful heart condition.
- Blood pressure: You may have high blood pressure if you have mild aortic stenosis. In rare cases of severe aortic stenosis, your blood pressure may actually be low.