This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Comparing rheumatic and syphilitic aortic regurgitation

Authoring team

The aortic regurgitation seen in cardiovascular syphilis and rheumatic heart disease are compared and contrasted below:

  • angina:
    • an earlier and more frequent feature of syphilitic aortic regurgitation (SAR) than rheumatic aortic regurgitation (RAR) because syphilitic aortitis may cause coronary ostial stenosis

  • diastolic murmur:
    • in SAR the dilated aorta associated with syphilitic aortitis may cause the murmur to be maximal to the right of the sternum
    • in RAR the murmur is maximal at the left sternal edge
    • the murmur in SAR is usually louder

  • heart block - seen more commonly in SAR

  • aortic stenosis:
    • does not occur in syphilitic aortic valve disease

  • atrial fibrillation:
    • may complicate RAR and SAR
    • atrial fibrillation complications RAR then mitral valve disease should be suspected

  • serology:
    • in SAR specific tests are usually positive, e.g. FTA-ABS
    • syphilis screening tests, e.g. VRDL are negative in up to 70% of cases of syphilitic aortitis

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.