heart and blood vessel disorders
Aortic Regurgitation
Causes of Aortic Regurgitation
Aortic valve regurgitation may develop suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic). The most common causes ofacute aortic regurgitationare Infection of the valve ( Infective Endocarditis ) A tear in the lining of the aorta ( Aortic Dissection ) The most common causes ofchronic aortic regurgitationare Spontaneous weakening of the valve or the ascending aorta (particularly with a birth defect in which the Bicuspid Aortic Valve with only two, instead of three, cusps) Rheumatic Fever None Syphilis None Rheumatic fever and syphilis used to be the most common causes of aortic regurgitation in North America and Western Europe, where both disorders are now rare because of the widespread use of antibiotics. In regions where antibiotics are not widely used, aortic regurgitation due to rheumatic fever or syphilis is still common. About 1% of babies have a bicuspid aortic valve, but it commonly does not cause problems until adulthood. 