slight increase in the thickening below the pulmonary valve

[dannyrobson]

Hi,

I recently went to have a echocardiogram, due to a heart mur mur which I have had all my life.  I have received a letter stating :

Your last echocardiogram has shown a slight increase in the thickening below the pulmonary valve.  This has progressed very slightly over the last 6 years.  In order to ***** things further we will need to organise a treadmill test and we will arrange to see you in clinic after this

Could you please explain abit more to me as to what this actually means, and should I worried??

Thanks
Dan

[kenkeith]

The thickening can cause an  obstruction is caused by narrowing at one or more of several points from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. It includes obstruction from thickened muscle below the pulmonary valve, narrowing (stenosis) of the valve itself, or narrowing of the pulmonary artery above the valve.  

When there is an obstructed, the right ventricle must work harder to eject blood into the pulmonary artery. To compensate for this additional workload, the muscle of the right ventricle gradually thickens to provide additional strength to right ventricular ejection.

The increased right ventricular muscle, known as hypertrophy, is rarely a problem in itself, but instead is an indication that significant obstruction exists.

An echo is able to determine the volume of blood pumped out of the right ventricle, an evaluation of the stenosis (narrowing) of area in question, chamber sizes, structual anomolies, etc.