Tricuspid Regurgitation Assessment Using Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Velocity-Encoded 4-Dimensional Flow

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Valvular Heart Disease

Background:

• Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a prevalent valvular heart disease.
• TR is linked to right ventricular dysfunction and heart failure hospitalizations.
• Accurate TR severity and RV function assessment are vital for patient management.

Observation:

• Three cases of TR were evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with 4D flow analysis.
• CMR revealed torrential TR in one case, underestimated by TTE.
• Discrepancies in TR severity were noted between TTE and CMR in another case.

Findings:

• CMR with 4D flow analysis demonstrated superior accuracy in quantifying TR severity compared to TTE.
• TTE has limitations in assessing TR severity, particularly when imaging is constrained.
• Multimodal imaging, including CMR, aids in accurate TR assessment.

Implications:

• CMR with 4D flow analysis enhances the diagnostic capabilities for TR evaluation.
• Integrating CMR into multimodal assessment provides crucial information when TTE is discordant or inadequate.
• This approach optimizes clinical decision-making for patients with TR.