Aortic Regurgitation Electrocardiogram

Associate Editors-in-Chief: ; Keri Shafer, M.D. [mailto:kshafer@bidmc.harvard.edu]; Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

In aortic insufficiency, the electrocardiographic findings are nonspecific. However, the following may be noted:


 * Left ventricular hypertrophy
 * Left axis deviation
 * Left atrial enlargement
 * Left ventricular volume overload pattern (prominent Q waves in leads I, aVL, and V3 to V6 and relatively small r waves in V1)
 * Left ventricular conduction defects (typically late in the disease process)
 * Repolarization abnormalities
 * ST-segment depression in precordial leads