Austin-Flint murmur is typically seen with which valve lesion?

Austin-Flint murmur is typically seen with which valve lesion?

• A. Aortic regurgitation
• B. Mitral stenosis
• C. Tricuspid regurgitation
• D. Pulmonary embolism

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that an Austin Flint murmur arises when severe aortic regurgitation sends a high-velocity jet back into the left ventricle during diastole, which can strike the anterior mitral leaflet and cause functional obstruction to mitral inflow. This creates a low-pitched mid-diastolic rumble heard best at the apex in the left lateral position, mimicking mitral stenosis. It signals severe AR, and is not due to true mitral valve disease. In contrast, true mitral stenosis produces a diastolic rumble from thickened mitral valve itself, not from an aortic regurgitant jet; tricuspid regurgitation yields a systolic murmur, and pulmonary embolism does not produce this apex diastolic rumble.

The key idea is that an Austin Flint murmur arises when severe aortic regurgitation sends a high-velocity jet back into the left ventricle during diastole, which can strike the anterior mitral leaflet and cause functional obstruction to mitral inflow. This creates a low-pitched mid-diastolic rumble heard best at the apex in the left lateral position, mimicking mitral stenosis. It signals severe AR, and is not due to true mitral valve disease. In contrast, true mitral stenosis produces a diastolic rumble from thickened mitral valve itself, not from an aortic regurgitant jet; tricuspid regurgitation yields a systolic murmur, and pulmonary embolism does not produce this apex diastolic rumble.