Aortic stenosis part one: History, presentation, pathophysiology, examination

This is the first of two articles that will examine the common valvular heart disease condition, aortic stenosis. Aortic stenosis is caused by the calcification of the aortic valve. This first article will explore the pathophysiology and causes of aortic stenosis, focusing on degenerative aortic stenosis. The common patient presentations, including the history and clinical examination findings, will be discussed. The second article will focus on the common diagnostic tests that are used in confirmation of the diagnosis as well as assessing the severity of the disease and how these tests can guide further patient management.