Abstract
The tricuspid valve, which is the atrioventricular valve attached to the morphological right ventricle, is affected by a wide range of pathological processes. Tricuspid valve diseases are now increasingly recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Echocardiography is the most widely available and, hence, the first-line imaging modality used in the evaluation of tricuspid valve disorders; however, CT and MRI are also increasingly used for further evaluation and characterization of these entities. In this article, we first review the normal anatomy and embryology of the tricuspid valve, followed by a discussion of the role of multiple imaging modalities in the evaluation of tricuspid valve abnormalities. We then review and illustrate the imaging appearance of several congenital and acquired tricuspid valve abnormalities.Main Messages• Tricuspid valve diseases have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality.• CT and MRI are increasingly used in the evaluation of tricuspid disorders.• CT and MRI help in diagnosis, functional evaluation, pre-surgical planning and post-surgical follow-up.• The most common cause of tricuspid regurgitation is functional.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13244-016-0504-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The tricuspid valve is affected by a wide variety of pathological entities, ranging from congenital abnormalities to neoplasms
Recent studies have shown that tricuspid valve diseases have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality [2]
Echocardiography is widely available, and is often the first-line imaging modality used for evaluating these disorders; computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are increasingly employed, for initial diagnoses and functional assessments, and for pre-surgical planning to define complex anatomy, or even for post-surgical follow-up [3]
Summary
The tricuspid valve is affected by a wide variety of pathological entities, ranging from congenital abnormalities to neoplasms. Tricuspid valve prolapse is characterized by posterior bulging of the leaflets of the tricuspid valve beyond its annulus, into the RA in systole, due to sufficient elongation of the chordae and expansion of the cusp area It is less common than mitral valve prolapse, occurs in an older age group, and may be a marker of diffuse connective tissue diseases. On CT and MRI, the prolapse of the tricuspid valve leaflet beyond the annular ring into the RA is seen during late systole (Fig. 28). This may present a challenge, since the annular ring is non-planar, and accurate localization is difficult. The interstitial deposition of proteinaceous material causes a tight ring-like band impeding myocardial
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