Aortic regurgitation, also called aortic insufficiency, occurs when the aortic valve fails to seal completely during diastole, causing blood to flow backward from the aorta into the left ventricle. Over time, this extra volume of blood forces the left ventricle to enlarge and work harder, which can eventually lead to heart failure. On Doppler echocardiography, aortic regurgitation appears as a jet of color flow directed back into the left ventricle during diastole, and spectral Doppler can measure the severity of the leak. Causes include bicuspid aortic valve, rheumatic heart disease, endocarditis, and aortic root dilation.
Sonography Term