Tricuspid regurgitation | |
---|---|
Other names | Tricuspid insufficiency |
Echocardiogram showing typical findings in severe tricuspid regurgitation | |
Specialty | Cardiology |
Symptoms | Ascites[1] |
Causes | Abnormally high blood pressure , other heart problem[2] |
Diagnostic method | Echocardiogram[2] |
Treatment | Diuretic, Surgery[2] |
Tricuspid regurgitation (TR), also called tricuspid insufficiency, is a type of valvular heart disease in which the tricuspid valve of the heart, located between the right atrium and right ventricle, does not close completely when the right ventricle contracts (systole). TR allows the blood to flow backwards from the right ventricle to the right atrium, which increases the volume and pressure of the blood both in the right atrium and the right ventricle,[2] which may increase central venous volume and pressure if the backward flow is sufficiently severe.
The causes of TR are divided into hereditary and acquired; and also primary and secondary. Primary TR refers to a defect solely in the tricuspid valve, such as infective endocarditis; secondary TR refers to a defect in the valve as a consequence of some other pathology, such as left ventricular failure or pulmonary hypertension.[3]
The mechanism of TR is either a dilatation of the base (annulus) of the valve due to right ventricular dilatation, which results in the three leaflets being too far apart to reach one another; or an abnormality of one or more of the three leaflets.[1]
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