Diagnosis

Aortic valve disease is diagnosed in the following ways.

• Using a stethoscope to listen for a heart murmur (the sound caused by the turbulent flow of blood through the heart).
• Having an electrocardiogram (ECG) to see if the left ventricle is thickened due to strain. If the ventricle is severely strained, the ECG will show an irregular heart rhythm.
• Echocardiography (echo) to see if the opening of the valve is reduced and, if so, to assess the degree of valve disease by measuring the opening and closing of the valve.
• Cardiac catheterisation (angiogram) to detect both stenosis and regurgitation of the valve. It is also carried out to detect any coronary artery disease.
• A chest X-ray to look for any enlargement of the left ventricle caused by thickening.