Diagnosis of aortic insufficiency: comparison of auscultation and M-mode echocardiography to angiography.

We compared auscultation and M-mode echocardiography to supravalvular aortography in 75 patients with chronic aortic insufficiency. Angiographic evidence of aortic insufficiency was present in 66 patients and absent in nine. Auscultation had a sensitivity of 72.7% (48/66) and a specificity of 77.8% (7/9). Echocardiography had a sensitivity of 75.8% (50/66) and specificity of 77.8% (7/9). When both methods were used in combination, their sensitivity for diagnosis of aortic insufficiency increased to 92.9% (61/66). The specificity did not change. Our data suggest that when used alone neither auscultation nor echocardiography is a sensitive method for detecting aortic insufficiency, but when used in combination they are excellent indicators for the presence or absence of aortic insufficiency.