Genesis of the Austin Flint murmur: relation to mitral inflow and aortic regurgitant flow dynamics

Abstract

Objectives: This study was designed to elucidate the genesis of the Austin Flint murmur.

Background: The Austin Flint murmur is an apical diastolic rumble associated with significant aortic regurgitation. The precise mechanism of the murmur remains unclear.

Methods: The relation between the Austin Flint murmur and mitral inflow and aortic regurgitant flow dynamics was evaluated nonivasively in 13 patients with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation and 15 control subjects using phonocardiographic and pulsed and color-coded Doppler echocardiographic techniques. The severity of aortic regurgitation was determined by color-coded Doppler echocardiography on the basis of the maximal distance of the regurgitant signal.

Results: The direction of aortic regurgitant flow was unrelated to the presence of the Austin Flint murmur. The severity of aortic regurgitation was greater in patients with than in those without this murmur. The peak mitral inflow velocity during early diastole (E) was significantly increased, and both peak mitral inflow velocity at atrial contraction (A) and the A/E ratio were significantly decreased in patients with the Austin Flint murmur compared with values in those without this murmur or in control subjects. However, the maximal amplitude of the Austin Flint murmur did not coincide temporally with the peak mitral inflow velocity. The murmur continued both after rapid mitral inflow had ended and during diastolic mitral regurgitation.

Conclusions: The increased velocity of early diastolic mitral inflow in patients with the Austin Flint murmur is due to aortic regurgitation, but rapid mitral inflow is not an essential requirement for production of the murmur. In some cases, the Austin Flint murmur may be generated by aortic regurgitant flow alone.