Slamming Door Symptom

The slamming door symptom is one of the classic signs of mitral heart disease. It is manifested by a sharp increase in the second heart sound, which becomes loud and clear, reminiscent of the slam of a slamming door.

This symptom is caused by increased pressure in the pulmonary artery, that is, pulmonary hypertension. With mitral valve disease, blood from the left atrium flows into the left ventricle, and then through the insufficient mitral valve back into the atrium. This leads to stagnation of blood in the pulmonary circulation and increased pressure in the pulmonary vessels.

During auscultation, the symptom of a slamming door is best heard at the Botkin-Erb point, located in the second intercostal space to the left of the sternum. It is also clearly defined above the pulmonary trunk in the second intercostal space to the right of the sternum.

Thus, the slamming door symptom is an important diagnostic sign indicating the development of pulmonary hypertension due to mitral regurgitation. Timely recognition of this symptom allows you to quickly make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment.

The symptom of a slamming door is a sharp increase in the second (diastolic) heart sound above the pulmonary trunk (at Botkin's point) and at the junction of the anterior and posterior leaflets of the mitral valve (Botkin-Erebus point). This symptom may be a sign of mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation.

With mitral stenosis, a narrowing of the mitral orifice occurs, which leads to increased pressure in the left atrium and the development of pulmonary hypertension. This increases the volume of blood entering the lungs and increases the second heart sound over the pulmonary vessels. At the Botkin-Erebus point, the anterior and posterior walls of the mitral valve connect, so an increase in the second tone over this area indicates an increase in pressure in the lungs.

The slamming door sign can be used to diagnose mitral stenosis and assess its severity. However, to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to take into account other clinical signs and examination data.