A holosystolic murmur best heard at the apex and radiating to the axilla is most consistent with which valvular lesion?

Study for the PANCE Cardiology Test. Enhance your knowledge with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and detailed explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

Multiple Choice

A holosystolic murmur best heard at the apex and radiating to the axilla is most consistent with which valvular lesion?

A holosystolic murmur heard best at the apex and radiating to the axilla is classic for mitral regurgitation. This pattern reflects a failure of the mitral valve to close properly during systole, allowing blood to flow backward from the left ventricle into the left atrium throughout the entire systolic phase. The murmur is best felt or heard at the apex (over the left ventricle) and its transmitted sound often radiates toward the left axilla as the regurgitant jet travels into the left atrium and sound travels along the chest wall. In contrast, aortic stenosis produces a systolic murmur best at the right upper sternal border with possible carotid radiation, not apex-to-axilla. Pulmonic stenosis and tricuspid regurgitation have different locations and radiation patterns (pulmonic at the left upper sternal border; tricuspid at the left lower sternal border, sometimes with inspiration), making them less consistent with this presentation. Understanding this pattern helps distinguish MR from other systolic murmurs and ties the physical finding to the underlying valve dysfunction.

A holosystolic murmur heard best at the apex and radiating to the axilla is classic for mitral regurgitation. This pattern reflects a failure of the mitral valve to close properly during systole, allowing blood to flow backward from the left ventricle into the left atrium throughout the entire systolic phase. The murmur is best felt or heard at the apex (over the left ventricle) and its transmitted sound often radiates toward the left axilla as the regurgitant jet travels into the left atrium and sound travels along the chest wall.

In contrast, aortic stenosis produces a systolic murmur best at the right upper sternal border with possible carotid radiation, not apex-to-axilla. Pulmonic stenosis and tricuspid regurgitation have different locations and radiation patterns (pulmonic at the left upper sternal border; tricuspid at the left lower sternal border, sometimes with inspiration), making them less consistent with this presentation.

Understanding this pattern helps distinguish MR from other systolic murmurs and ties the physical finding to the underlying valve dysfunction.

More practice questions