Bruna Morhy Borges Leal Assunção et al. Arthur Cortez Gonçalves Lucas Velloso Dutra Renata de Sá Cassar
Abstract
Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Given that surgical treatment of TR alone has been associated with high mortality, transcatheter interventions in the tricuspid valve (TV) have been used for its treatment, with relatively lower risk. There is a delay in intervention for TR, and this is probably related to a limited understanding of the anatomy of the TV and the right ventricle, in addition to an underestimation of the severity of TR. In this scenario, it is necessary to have comprehensive anatomical knowledge of the TV, the pathophysiology involved in the mechanism of regurgitation, and more accurate grading. The TV has anatomical, histological, and spatial peculiarities that make its assessment more complex when compared to the mitral valve, requiring knowledge and training in the various echocardiographic techniques that will often be used in combination for accurate assessment.
This review will describe the anatomy of the TV, the role of echocardiography in the diagnosis, grading, and pathophysiology involved in TR; the main transcatheter treatment options currently available for TR; and the assessment of outcomes after transcatheter intervention by means of multiple echocardiographic modalities.
