Dance of the carotid: causes and manifestations

People who constantly have high blood pressure or have severe arteriosclerosis have distinct and very curved arteries on the temples and neck.

How is the syndrome manifested?

Examining the neck of a person with aortic insufficiency, a specialist will immediately notice the vibrating of the paired arteries from both sides of the neck - this is the dance of carotids. In parallel with the rhythm of heartbeat, the head can swing back and forth. This is due to a sharp change in the force of blood pressure in the paired blood vessels, which run parallel to the respiratory throat and esophagus. As a result of pulsation, they cause head movements.

In the neck area, pulsation of the jugular veins is also seen. In this process, one can judge pressure in the right atrium and cardiac activity. Swelling of the veins of a healthy person is seen in the prone position.

The symptom of a carotid dance can unite with other pulsating arteries, even arterioles can be attached to this process.

At this moment, the pulse of Quincke is well defined when pressing on the end of the nail bed and at the pressure on the mucosa in the oral cavity, as well as when rubbing the skin on the forehead.

Pulsation of the abdominal aorta

A well-marked dance of carotid happens in the abdominal region, its epigastric part, and it arises as a result of compression of a greatly enlarged right ventricle or because of a pulsating abdominal aorta. It is better to see the pulsation caused by the right ventricle, under the lower free end of the shortest and narrowest chest part. The patient should be examined in a standing position.

The dance of carotid abdominal aorta is very clearly visible on exhalation, at this time the person being examined is in a horizontal position.

Insufficient aortic liver valve

There are two types of liver pulsation:

• The transfer pulsation of the liver is due to its response to cardiac contractions, the organ moves synchronously in a given direction;
• The true pulsation consists in alternating changes in the increase and decrease in the size of the liver.

The second kind of pulsation can occur when the aortic valve is inadequate (dancing carotid). The increase (swelling) occurs simultaneously with the apical impulse of the heart and is arterial. With tricuspid insufficiency, venous pulsation will occur. It happens because of the reverse outflow of blood into the not completely closed passage from the right ventricle into the right chamber of the heart. And then the blood gets into the inferior vena cava and the hepatic vein. This is what leads to the swelling of the liver.