Just as the ECG gives important information about the electrical operation of the heart, heart sounds provide valuable information about its mechanical operation. A heart murmurs is an abnormal sound that consists of a flow noise that is heard before, between, or after the lubb-dupp or that may mask the normal heart sounds.
Although some heart murmurs are 'innocent' meaning they do not suggest a heart problem, most often a murmur indicates a valve disorder.
Among the valvular abnormalities that may contribute to murmurs are mitral stenosis (narrowing of the mitral valve by scar formation or a congenital defect), mitral insufficiency (back flow or regulation of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium due to a damaged mitral valve or ruptured chordae tendineae), aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic semilunar valve), and aortic insufficiency (backflow of blood from the aorta into the left ventricle).
Another cause of a heart murmurs is mitral valve prolapse (MVP), an inherited disorder in which a portion of a mitral valve is pushed back too far (prolapsed) during ventricular contraction.
Although a small volume of blood may flow back into the left atrium during ventricular systole, mitral valve prolapse often does not pose a serous threat.
In fact, it is found in up to 10% of otherwise healthy young persons.
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