Premature pulmonary valve opening in a patient with absent tricuspid valve.
Echocardiography (M-mode and cross-sectional) disclosed premature opening of the pulmonary valve (very deep "a" wave) in a young man who underwent tricuspid valvulectomy without valve replacement 32 months before for refractory bacterial endocarditis. Cardiac catheterisation showed a prominent atrial wave on the pulmonary artery pressure curve. Thus, part of the right ventricular ejection appeared to occur before the onset of ventricular systole, as a result of powerful right atrial contraction.
D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000601:surgery*