Pertaining to, affecting or of the nature of a valve.
- v. disease — interferes with the normal rate and smoothness of blood flow through the cardiac orifices. The creation of turbulence results in the appearance of palpable thrills and audible murmurs, stenosis and insufficiency causing congestive heart failure. See also names of cardiac valves.
- v. incompetence — the valves do not close completely and when pressure is exerted on them blood leaks back through causing inefficient forward movement of the blood and turbulent flow leading to the development of cardiac murmurs.
- v. stenosis — narrowing of the lumen of the aperture through which the blood passes causing back pressure in the venous or pulmonary circuits. The clinical manifestations include cardiac murmurs and thrills and congestive heart failure. See also stenosis.