[Clinical evaluation of severe idiopathic tricuspid regurgitation]

This study clarified the clinical profile and echocardiographic findings of severe idiopathic tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Among 8,538 consecutive ultrasonic examinations, a total of 63 patients had severe TR, which was depicted by color flow mapping as a regurgitant signal more than 4 cm from the tricuspid valve orifice. Thirteen of the 63 patients had no underlying diseases, and these patients with severe idiopathic TR were the subjects of the present study. All 13 patients were over 66 years of age (mean 77.3 +/- 5.6 years old) and had had episodes of right heart failure which responded effectively to diuretics. All 13 patients had atrial fibrillation. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, thickening (77%), prolapse (69%) and malaligned coaptation (54%) of the tricuspid valves were observed. The tricuspid annular diameters, cross-sectional areas of the right and left atria and the right ventricular end-diastolic dimensions were significantly greater than those of the age-and-gender-matched lone atrial fibrillation group and the normal control group (p less than 0.01). The left ventricular dimension and ejection fraction did not differ from those of the matched lone atrial fibrillation group. Other valvular regurgitations were also detected (AR 77%, MR 100%, PR 69%), but the degrees of regurgitation were minimal. We proposed severe TR with tricuspid annular dilatation, right atrial and right ventricular dilatation observed in the aged as a distinct cardiac disease entity.