Diagnosis

Pulmonary valve stenosis is often diagnosed in childhood. However, it may not be detected until later in life.

The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your or your child's heart. A whooshing sound (murmur) caused by choppy (turbulent) blood flow across the narrowed valve may be heard.

Tests to diagnose pulmonary valve stenosis may include:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This quick and painless test records the electrical signals in the heart. Sticky patches (electrodes) are placed on the chest and sometimes the arms and legs. Wires connect the electrodes to a computer, which displays the test results. An ECG can show how the heart is beating and may reveal signs of heart muscle thickening.
• Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of the heart. This common test allows a doctor to see how the heart beats and pumps blood. An echocardiogram can show the structure of the pulmonary valve and the location and severity of any valve narrowing.

• Cardiac catheterization. A thin tube (catheter) is inserted into the groin and threaded through the blood vessels to the heart. Dye can be injected through the catheter into the blood vessels to make them more visible on X-rays (coronary angiogram).

  Doctors also use cardiac catheterization to measure pressure within the chambers of the heart to see how forcefully blood pumps through the heart. If you've been diagnosed with pulmonary valve stenosis, your doctor can determine how severe the condition is by comparing the difference in blood pressure between the right lower heart chamber and the pulmonary artery.

• Other imaging tests. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans are sometimes used to confirm the diagnosis of pulmonary valve stenosis.