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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Confusion re: heart murmur
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Confusion re: heart murmur
by Christine, Aug 27, 1999 12:00AM
I am a 35 year old female in mostly good health with a history of papillary thyroid cancer that is supposedly "cured." Last fall I had a 10-day episode of rapid heart rate while standing (140 bpm) and about 95 while resting. I went through some cardiac tests (event monitoring and echocardiogram). Everything came out normal except that I had "inappropriate tachycardia." The cardiologist stated to me that for all purposes my echo was normal but he did detect a very slight prolapse that was so small he was calling my echo "normal" and really hesitated to even mention it to me. This past July (6 months after the echo), I was in with my endocrinologist having some routine thyroid checks done and he said to me "has anyone ever told you that you have a heart murmur?" I then went over the cardiac stuff with him, he read the echo report, and then said that the echo was the deciding factor and that I must not have a murmur. What do you think of this? This coming Monday I am having some urology tests done (cystoscopy) and when they asked me about the heart murmur I didn't know what to say. I guess they like to use antibiotics if this is a problem. Can you give me your opinion? Also, I still have instances of rapid heart rate, although, never as bad as that one episode last year. My thyroid function is normal. Thank you.
Christine
Christine
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - CRC, Aug 27, 1999 12:00AM
If anyone asks you can say you don't have a murmur. The echocardiogram is the "gold standard" for diagnosis of heart murmur so if it was negative there it's negative. There are what are called "flow murmurs" and these may be present from time to time on physical exam but these are nothing to worry about.
