[Traumatic tricuspid insufficiency. Apropos of a case treated by conservative surgery]

Traumatic tricuspid insufficiency is a rare condition which raises the problem of when and how should its surgical correction be performed. Its diagnosis has been considerably facilitated by echocardiography. We report a case of traumatic tricuspid insufficiency with extensive lesions of the tricuspid valve system, which was diagnosed after a 15-year period without functional signs. Echocardiography and Doppler ultrasounds provided very accurate information on the lesions. Optimal correction was obtained by conservative surgery. The excellent results observed at short and medium term suggest that surgical indications should be extended.