Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The tricuspid valve and its annulus (TA) are thought to be integrally related to right atrial (RA) size and function. The present study aimed to assess associations between TA dimensions and RA strains, and quantitative features of its contractility were determined by 3DSTE in healthy adults. METHODS: The study comprised 145 healthy volunteers with a mean age of 34.4 ± 12.5 years (73 males). Electrocardiographic, two-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic and 3DSTE parameters were in normal reference ranges in all subjects. RESULTS: Enlarged TA areas, regardless of which phase of the cardiac cycle were measured, were not associated with the deterioration of peak RA strains in longitudinal (LS) and circumferential (CS) directions. Increased end-diastolic TA area was associated with reduced RA strain in the radial direction (RS). Dilation of end-diastolic and end-systolic TA areas was related to increased RA volumes. End-diastolic TA area was the smallest in case of increased peak global RA-RS, and other associations between increasing TA areas and peak global strains could not be detected. Peak global RA-CS and RA-LS were not related to TA areas. Increasing peak global RA-RS was not associated with peak global RA-LS and RA-CS, while increasing peak global RA-LS and RA-CS were not associated with peak global RA-RS. Increasing peak global RS did not show associations with RA volumes, V(min) was the smallest in the case of highest peak global RA-CS and RA-LS. V(max) increased with increasing peak global RA-LS. CONCLUSIONS: 3DSTE is suitable for simultaneous non-invasive determination of TA dimensions and RA volumes and strains using the same acquired 3D dataset, allowing physiologic studies. RA volumes are associated with end-diastolic and end-systolic TA areas. RA strains in radial direction (RS) show associations with end-diastolic TA area.