Spontaneously Disappearing Murmur of Patent Ductus Arteriosus

A 10-year-old girl with patent ductus arteriosus had most unusual auscultatory changes, but the typical roentgenologic and electrocardiographic findings. There was an intermittent, spontaneous disappearance and reappearance of the entire machinery murmur. At surgery, a valve, or veil-like structure, was found inside the ductus at its entrance into the pulmonary artery. This valve apparently accounted for the "spontaneous" intermittent disappearance of the murmur, which was first discovered when the child was 10 years old.