Pulmonary Valve Disease

Pulmonary Regurgitation

Pulmonary valve regurgitation occurs when the valve does not close completely, causing blood to leak backward into the right ventricle. The excess blood makes the right ventricle work harder than normal. Over time, this extra pressure on the right ventricle reduces its ability to pump blood (a condition called right-sided heart failure).

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Right-sided heart failure leads to a buildup of fluid in the body, especially in the legs (edema) and abdomen; and causes symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, fainting on exertion, enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), chest pain and cyanosis (blue-tinged skin).

Symptoms of Pulmonary Valve Regurgitation

Pulmonary valve regurgitation can cause right-sided heart failure, which leads to a buildup of fluid in the body, especially in the legs (edema) and abdomen.

Additional symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Fainting with physical exertion (exercise)
• Enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)
• Chest pain
• Blue-tinged skin (cyanosis)

Causes of Pulmonary Valve Regurgitation

Pulmonary valve regurgitation (or leakage) can be caused by infectious diseases, such as a serious bacterial infection of the heart called endocarditis, or by carcinoid heart disease, a rare condition.

Pulmonary valve damage can also result from high blood pressure within the pulmonary (lung) blood vessels, called pulmonary hypertension.