title: Evaluation of tricuspid valve morphology and function by transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography.
abstract: Tricuspid valve (TV) disease commonly occurs in combination with left-sided heart disease. Despite the growing enthusiasm for developing novel minimally invasive therapies for the mitral or aortic valve, the TV disease formerly received less attention and was frequently left untreated. Strong evidence has increased the awareness of the impact of severe TV regurgitation on patient survival, functional capacity, and surgical risk. Preoperative TV accurate description is challenging because, unlike left-sided valves, a complete visualization of tricuspid annulus and all three leaflets in one view is routinely impossible by two-dimensional transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography. Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) with its unrestricted imaging capabilities has sparked significant research interest for a better understanding and improved treatment of valvular heart disease. This review summarizes the current status of 3DE for the assessment of TV morphology and function, with its clinical applications and current limitations, as well as its potential implications for designing TV repair techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua, Italy. denisa.muraru@gmail.com
authors.forename: Denisa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muraru
authors.forename: Luigi P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Badano
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sarais
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soldà
authors.forename: Sabino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iliceto
mesh_terms: D002275:Carcinoid Heart Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004437:Ebstein Anomaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D006801:Humans; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014264:Tricuspid Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology