pansystolic heart murmur
Last reviewed 01/2018
Pansystolic murmurs occur throughout systole, and may be caused by:
- mitral regurgitation:
- the murmur is maximal at the apex and often in late systole
- it is transmitted to the axilla
- ventricular septal defect with a left to right shunt:
- the murmur is maximal at the left lower sternal edge, and may be loudest when the defect is small
- tricuspid regurgitation:
- the murmur is maximal at the fourth left interspace with inspiratory augmentation and a systolic wave in the jugular venous pulse