[Doppler echocardiography of tricuspid insufficiency. Methods of quantification]

Evaluation of tricuspid incompetence has benefitted considerably from the development of Doppler ultrasound. In addition to direct analysis of the valves, which provides information about the mechanism involved, this method is able to provide an accurate evaluation, mainly through use of the Doppler mode. In addition to new criteria being evaluated (mainly the convergence zone of the regurgitant jet), some indices are recognised as good quantitative parameters: extension of the regurgitant jet into the right atrium, anterograde tricuspid flow, laminar nature of the regurgitant flow, analysis of the flow in the supra-hepatic veins, this is only semi-quantitative, since the calculation of the regurgitation fraction from the pulsed Doppler does not seem to be reliable; This accurate semi-quantitative evaluation is made possible by careful and consistent use of all the criteria available. The authors set out to discuss the value of the various evaluation criteria mentioned in the literature and try to define a practical approach.