Traumatic rupture of the chordae tendineae in acute tricuspid insufficiency. Early detection with transesophageal echocardiography

: An uncommon case of traumatic rupture of chordae tendineae with tricuspid regurgitation is described. The early diagnosis, in a patient with polydistrectual injuries, was done by transesophageal echocardiography. This technique allowed accurate diagnosis of the type of lesion suggesting the opportunity to perform an echocardiogram, possibly transesophageal, in all patients with blunt thoracic trauma, even in the absence or with subtle clinical manifestations of cardiovascular involvement.