Taber's Medical Dictionary
murmur
(mŭr′mŭr)
[L. murmur, a humming, growling, murmur]
An abnormal sound or extra beat heard when listening to the heart or neighboring large blood vessels. Murmurs may be soft, blowing, rumbling, booming, loud, or variable in intensity. They may be heard during systole, diastole, or both. A murmur does not necessarily indicate heart disease, and many heart diseases do not produce murmurs.
SEE: heart
anemic murmur
SEE: Hemic murmur.
aneurysmal murmur
A whizzing systolic sound heard over an aneurysm. It is more commonly known as a bruit.
aortic murmur
An abnormal, soft sound heard on auscultation that may be due to stenosis or regurgitation. It is a sign of aortic valvular disease.
SEE: aortic regurgitant murmur
aortic obstructive murmur
A harsh systolic murmur heard with and after the first heart sound. It is loudest at the base.
aortic regurgitant murmur
A blowing or hissing following the second heart sound.
apex murmur
An inorganic murmur over the apex of the heart.
arterial murmur
A soft flowing murmur that is synchronous with the pulse.
Austin Flint murmur
SEE: Austin Flint murmur
bronchial murmur
A murmur heard over large bronchi, resembling respiratory laryngeal murmur.
cardiac murmur
A sound arising due to blood flow through the heart.
cardiopulmonary murmur
A murmur caused by movement of the heart against the lungs.
continuous murmur
A murmur that extends throughout systole and diastole.
crescendo murmur
A murmur that progressively builds up in intensity and then suddenly subsides.
Cruveilhier-Baumgarten murmur
diastolic murmur
A murmur occurring during relaxation of the heart.
Duroziez' murmur
SEE: Duroziez' murmur
ejection murmur
A systolic murmur that is most intense at the time of maximum flow of blood from the heart. This murmur is associated with pulmonary and aortic stenosis.
endocardial murmur
An abnormal sound produced by any cause and arising within the heart.
exocardial murmur
A cardiac murmur produced outside the cavities of the heart.
extracardiac murmur
SEE: Exocardial murmur.
friction murmur
A murmur caused by an inflamed mucous surface rubbing against another, as in pericarditis.
functional murmur
A murmur occurring in the absence of any pathological change in the structure of the heart valves or orifices. It does not indicate organic disease of the heart, and may disappear upon a return to health. It may be mistaken for a pathological murmur by an inexperienced listener.
Gibson's murmur
SEE: Gibson's murmur
Graham Steell's murmur
heart murmur
SEE: Cardiac murmur.
hemic murmur
A sound heard on auscultation of anemic persons without valvular lesions and resulting from an abnormal, usually anemic, blood condition.
holosystolic murmur
SEE: Pansystolic murmur.
machinery murmur
SEE: Gibson's murmur.
mitral murmur
A murmur produced at the orifice of the mitral (bicuspid) valve.
musical murmur
A cardiac murmur with sounds that have an intermittent harmonic pattern.
organic murmur
A murmur due to structural abnormalities in the heart.
pansystolic murmur
A heart murmur heard throughout systole.
pericardial murmur
A friction sound produced within the pericardium.
physiologic murmur
SEE: Functional murmur.
prediastolic murmur
SEE: Systolic murmur.
presystolic murmur
A murmur occurring just before systole, due to mitral or tricuspid obstruction.
pulmonary murmur
A murmur produced at the orifice of the pulmonary artery.
regurgitant murmur
A murmur due to leakage or backward flow of blood through a dilated valvular orifice.
seagull murmur
A murmur that resembles the cry of a seagull; sometimes associated with aortic insufficiency.
Still's murmur
SEE: Still's murmur
systolic murmur
A cardiac murmur during systole.
to-and-fro murmur
A pericardial murmur heard during both systole and diastole.
tricuspid murmur
A murmur produced at the orifice of the tricuspid valve and caused by stenosis or incompetency of the valve.
vascular murmur
A murmur occurring over a blood vessel.
vesicular murmur
Normal breath sounds.
