Leakage of blood through the aortic valve (one of the heart valves), resulting in a backflow of blood from the aorta into the left ventricle (the heart’s main pumping chamber). Failure of the aortic valve to close properly may be due to a congenital abnormality in which the valve has 2 flaps rather than 3. The valve leaflets can be destroyed by infective endocarditis. Aortic incompetence is associated with ankylosing spondylitis, and Marfan’s syndrome. Atherosclerosis may damage the valve, causing a combination of aortic stenosis and incompetence. Aortic incompetence is also found in untreated syphilis, which is now rare. Aortic incompetence may not cause symptoms and is sometimes found during a routine medical examination. The heart compensates for the backflow of blood into the left ventricle by working harder, which may eventually lead to heart failure; this causes breathing difficulty and oedema (fluid accumulation). Chest X-ray, ECG, and echocardiography may be carried out to diagnose aortic incompetence. A cardiac catheter is sometimes used to demonstrate the degree of incompetence (see catheterization, cardiac). Heart failure resulting from aortic incompetence can be treated with diuretic drugs. Heart-valve surgery to replace the damaged valve may eventually be necessary.
Aortic incompetence |
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