Utility of Cardiac Auscultation during Routine Health Screening in Valvular Heart Disease: A Case Report

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 Physical examinations during health checkups, including cardiac and pulmonary auscultation, are considered essential and standard procedures. In particular, cardiac auscultation is considered increasingly important because it is an initial and noninvasive examination for detecting valvular heart disease. Herein, we report the case of a 51-year-old asymptomatic man with a cardiac murmur that was incidentally detected during cardiac auscultation performed during a routine health checkup. Notably, a systolic cardiac murmur with the apex at its strongest point (Levine III/VI) was observed. Because we suddenly encountered heart murmurs that had not existed the preceding year, urgent cardiac disease was suspected, specifically valvular heart disease. The patient was immediately referred to the Department of Internal Medicine at our Institution's Cardiovascular Center for further evaluation. Based on the echocardiographic findings, the patient was clinically diagnosed with mitral regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse. Consequently, the patient was carefully followed up and scheduled to undergo surgery as he exhibited exacerbated cardiac symptoms. Thus, cardiac auscultation during medical health checkups may aid the diagnosis of valvular heart disease.