Mayne's sign is mainly related to younger age and not to aortic regurgitation.
BACKGROUND
An exaggerated decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) upon raising the upper extremity is a sign of severe chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) (Mayne's sign). However, this finding was proposed prior to the widespread use of Doppler echocardiography.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relation between Doppler echo determined AR and changes in DBP.


METHODS
We prospectively studied 30 controls without AR and 40 patients (69±15 years) with AR ranging from mild to severe and measured DBP before and during upper extremity raising.


RESULTS
The change in DBP was inversely correlated with age (r=-0.41, P<0.001) but not to the presence or severity of AR on Doppler echocardiography (r=-0.10, P=0.42).


CONCLUSIONS
Greater decreases in DBP upon arm raising appear to be related to younger age but not to the presence or severity of AR. Therefore, Mayne's sign should not be considered a reliable finding of regurgitant aortic valve flow.
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
Michael
M
Happes
Haroon
H
Kamran
Louis
L
Salciccioli
Eun Hee
EH
Ko
Jason M
JM
Lazar
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001916:Brachial Artery; D003971:Diastole; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies