Which physical factors determine tricuspid regurgitation jet area in the clinical setting?
The visual assessment of jet area has become the most common method used in daily clinic practice to evaluate valvular regurgitation. Despite the high prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation, however, few studies have systematically compared TR jet areas with a quantitative standard. To evaluate this, 40 patients in sinus rhythm with tricuspid regurgitation were analyzed: 16 with centrally directed free jets and 24 with impinging wall jets. The size of the maximal planimetered color jet area (cm2) was compared with parameters derived using the pulsed Doppler 2-dimensional echocardiographic method: regurgitant fraction and the flow convergence method (peak flow rate, effective regurgitant orifice area and momentum). Mean tricuspid regurgitant fraction averaged 33 +/- 15%, peak flow rate 76 +/- 54 cm3/s, effective regurgitant orifice area 27 +/- 21 mm2 and momentum 21,717 +/- 15,014 cm4/s2. An average of 4-chamber, and long- and short-axis areas in free jets correlated well with regurgitan
