Ejection Clicks

Excerpt

Ejection clicks are high-pitched sounds that occur at the moment of maximal opening of the aortic or pulmonary valves. They are heard just after the first heart sound. The sounds occur in the presence of a dilated aorta or pulmonary artery or in the presence of a bicuspid or flexible stenotic aortic or pulmonary valve (Figure 28.1). Ejection clicks may also be called ejection sounds. The diastolic correlate of the ejection click is the opening snap, which occurs at maximal opening of a flexibly stenotic mitral or tricuspid valve.