Skip to main content
Deutsches Ärzteblatt International logoLink to Deutsches Ärzteblatt International
letter
. 2024 Jul 12;121(14):482. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0044

Systolic Murmur May Be Missed

Rolf Stockhausen 1
PMCID: PMC11635816  PMID: 39320227

The article includes many valuable practical pointers, to which—as regards blunt thoracic trauma in addition to the well known post-traumatic aortic valve failure and aortic dissection—we would add the perspective of a possible, not immediately noticeable injury to the aortic valve (1). Existing cardiovascular depression is understandably first attributed to existing polytrauma. Auscultation is fleeting and systolic murmur is missed.

But the English language literature from Asia contains multiple publications that describe the development of aortic valve stenosis after post-traumatic valve injury. The rate of accidents involving bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, or motorcycles is notably higher in the relevant countries.

The development of post-traumatic aortic valve stenosis was confirmed in the mouse model in 2014 (2). It was first described by an alert doctor in a field hospital in 1918 (3). Companies providing accident insurance schemes will approve.

References

  • 1.Hartung B, Schäuble A, Peldschus S, Schüßler M, Meyer HL. The documentation of injuries caused by traffic accidents. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2024;121:27–36. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0145. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Honda S. A novel mouse model of aortic valve stenosis induced by direct wire injury. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 20143;4:270–278. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.113.302610. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Schlesinger R. Ein Fall von reiner isolierter Aortenstenose nach Unfall. Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift. 1918;44:467–468. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Deutsches Ärzteblatt International are provided here courtesy of Deutscher Arzte-Verlag GmbH

RESOURCES