Cabot-Locke murmur

Description

The Cabot-Locke murmur is an early diastolic murmur found in patients with severe anaemia. Unlike the early diastolic murmur associated with aortic regurgitation, the Cabot-Locke murmur has no associated ‘decrescendo’ phase.

The murmur resolves with treatment of the anaemia. There is no functional valvular abnormality present.

Note: The description of the Cabot-Locke murmur was based on a study sample of three patients…

In cases of intense anaemia, when the red cells are reduced to or below 1,000,000 per cu. mm, one occasionally hears diastolic murmurs not to be explained by permanent dilatation of the aortic ring nor as “cardio-respiratory murmurs”, and not due to a diastolic accentuation of a venous hum. The cause of these murmurs is obscure

Cabot R, Locke E. 1903: 120

Associated Persons

• Richard Clarke Cabot (1868- 1939)
• Edwin Allen Locke (1874-1971)

References

• Cabot RC, Locke EA. On the occurrence of diastolic murmurs without lesions of the aortic or pulmonary valves. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 1903; 14: 115-20.
• Ma I, Tierney LM. Name that murmur–eponyms for the astute auscultician. N Engl J Med. 2010 Nov 25;363(22):2164-8
• Robbins A, Zhang G. Name that murmur. LITFL 2019