New Peripheral Signs of Chronic Aortic Regurgitation seen in Five Patients in the North of Nigeria and Literature Review
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These patients presented with cough productive of whitish frothy sputum, dyspnoea, orthopnoea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea with mild pitting pedal oedema. These five patients presented with established known signs of chronic aortic regurgitation such as: Quinke’s, Hill’s, Corrigan, De’musset, Duroziez, Positive wide pulse pressure, Rosenbach’s, Locomotor branchialis, Ladolfi, Muellers, Ashrafian and Minervini. Auscultation revealed aortic regurgitation and ejection systolic murmurs. Hypertension was found to be their risk factor. Investigations for complication of hypertension and to rule out common chest infections such as tuberculosis eg FBC and Differentials, AAFB X 3, Mantoux, S/E/U/Cr were normal. Cxray done showed enlargement of the heart by measuring the CTR (Cardiothoracic ratio). Drugs such as Amlodipine, Furosemide, Aldactone, Moduretic, Lisinopril and Digoxin were used for treatment. A thorough clinical cardiovascular and general examination from head of the patients to helm was done on them and a diagnosis of chronic aortic regurgitation was established vis-a-viz already known signs of chronic aortic regurgitation. This aims at bringing to the fore of practicing clinicians these new signs seen in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation especially in areas without advanced medical equipments such as the hinterlands of Tropical Africa. Patients did well on follow up.
Keywords: Aortic regurgitation, signs and symptoms, Eponymous and New Eponym signs and clinical examination