People who have persistently high blood pressure or severe atherosclerosis have distinct and very curved arteries in their temples and neck.
How the syndrome manifests itself
Examining the neck of a person with aortic insufficiency, a specialist will immediately notice the vibration of the paired arteries on both sides of the neck - this is the dance of the carotid. In parallel with the rhythm of the heartbeat, the head can swing back and forth. This is due to a sharp change in blood pressure in the paired blood vessels that run parallel to the windpipe and esophagus. Due to pulsation, they cause head movements.
Pulsation of the jugular veins is also visible in the neck area. According to this process, one can judge the pressure in the right atrium and cardiac activity. The swelling of the veins of a he althy person can be seen in the supine position.
The carotid dance symptom can combine with other pulsating arteries, even arterioles can be attached to this process.
At this moment, Quincke's pulse is well defined when pressing on the end of the nail bed and when pressing on the mucous membrane in the oral cavity, as well as when rubbing the skin on the forehead.
Pulsation of the abdominal aorta
The carotid dance is clearly visible in the abdomen, its epigastric part, and it occurs as a result of compression of a greatly enlarged right ventricle or due to a pulsating abdominal aorta. The pulsation caused by the right ventricle is better seen under the lower free end of the shortest and narrowest sternal part. The patient is best examined in a standing position.
The dance of the carotid abdominal aorta is very clearly visible on exhalation, at this time the person being examined is in a horizontal position.
Aortic valve insufficiency of the liver
There are two types of liver pulsations:
- transfer pulsation of the liver is due to its response to heart contractions, the organ moves synchronously in a given direction;
- true pulsation is the alternating increase and decrease in liver size.
The second type of pulsation can occur with aortic valve insufficiency (carotid dance). The increase (swelling) occurs simultaneously with the apex beat of the heart and is arterial. With tricuspid insufficiency, venous pulsation will occur. This is due to the backflow of blood into a not thoroughly closed passage from the right ventricle to the right chamber of the heart. And then the blood enters the inferior vena cava and hepatic veins. This is what causes the liver to swell.
