A sound caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart, as heard through a stethoscope. Heart murmurs are regarded as an indication of possible abnormality in the blood flow. Apart from “innocent” murmurs, the most common cause of extra blood turbulence is a disorder of the heart valves. Murmurs can also be caused by some types of congenital heart disease (see heart disease, congenital) or by rarer conditions such as a myxoma in a heart chamber.
Murmur |
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