Study of quantitative measurement of tricuspid regurgitation using Doppler echocardiography

: The volume of tricuspid regurgitation (VTR) was measured using two-dimensional color and continuous wave Doppler echocardiography. The value of VTR showed significant correlations with the maximum area (r = 0.77), the maximum distance (r = 0.73) and the maximum width (r = 0.59) in the regurgitant signal, right ventricular pressure (r = 0.63) and the diameter of right atrium (r = 0.40). When the tricuspid regurgitation was divided into two types in viewpoint of its flow direction-flow directed to center of atrium (A type) and that directed to atrial septum (B type), VTR showed closer correlations with the maximum area (r = 0.90) and the maximum distance (r = 0.87) in A type. But in B type, their relativities were decreased (r = 0.51 and r = 0.40, respectively). The VTR was well related with the severity of tricuspid regurgitation based on the Miyatake's classification. This evidence indicated that the quantitative measurement of tricuspid regurgitant volume using two-dimensional color and continuous wave Doppler echocardiography is more accurate and useful compared with conventional semi-quantitative method.