[Tricuspid regurgitation in mitral valve prolapse studied by two-dimensional color flow mapping]

To assess the incidence of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in mitral valve prolapse (MVP), 96 patients with MVP and 23 normal control subjects were studied. Subjects in the MVP group were further classified as a group with mitral regurgitation (MR(+) group: 61 cases), and MR(-) group (35 cases). The presence of TR in each group was studied by two-dimensional color flow mapping using a Toshiba SSH-65A apparatus. The incidence of TR was 49% in the MR(+) group and 34% in the MR(-) group, and both (35 cases). The presence of TR in each group was studied by two-dimensional color flow mapping using a Toshiba SSH-65A apparatus. The incidence of TR was 49% in the MR(+) group and 34% in the MR(-) group, and both values were statistically greater than 9% in the control group (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.05, respectively). A female preponderance was observed only in the MR(+) group. Tricuspid valve prolapse was observed in six cases (10%) in the MR(+) group, two cases (6%) in the MR(-) group, and none in the control group. The mean tricuspid ring dimension did not differ significantly among the three groups. The female patients in MR(+) group had statistically greater measurements than the normal female subjects (p less than 0.01). In conclusion, the incidence of TR was statistically greater in female patients in the MR(+) group than in females in the other groups. It is suspected that functional or pathological changes which induce MVP are likely to progress to the tricuspid ring in female patients.