From the Guidelines
Tricuspid valve leakage is typically characterized by a holosystolic murmur heard best at the lower sternal border, often accompanied by a systolic ejection murmur, as noted in patients with advanced degrees of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) 1.
Key Characteristics of the Murmur
- The murmur is usually loud and harsh, with a blowing or regurgitant quality
- It may radiate to the right upper sternal border
- The intensity of the murmur can be influenced by factors such as respiratory phase, with inspiration often increasing the murmur's loudness due to increased venous return, a phenomenon also known as Carvallo’s sign 1.
Associated Clinical Features
- Abnormal systolic c and v waves in the jugular venous pulse
- A middiastolic murmur in severe regurgitation
- Systolic hepatic pulsation These clinical features, including the characteristic murmur, are essential for the diagnosis of tricuspid valve regurgitation, and their presence should prompt further evaluation with echocardiography to assess the severity of TR and guide management 1.
From the Research
Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation Sounds
The sounds heard through a stethoscope indicating tricuspid valve regurgitation (tricuspid valve leakage) are not explicitly described in the provided studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Relevant Information
However, the studies provide information on the diagnosis and treatment of tricuspid regurgitation, including:
- The use of Doppler echocardiography to diagnose and quantify functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) 3
- The importance of multimodality imaging in assessing the anatomy and function of the tricuspid valve apparatus, right ventricle, and right atrium 5
- The role of transthoracic echocardiography in the timely diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation in the outpatient setting 6
Key Points
Key points related to tricuspid valve regurgitation include:
- Tricuspid regurgitation is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide and carries a high mortality rate 2, 4, 6
- The severity of tricuspid regurgitation is correlated with mortality, with approximately 35% of patients with severe TR and right heart failure dying within 1 year 6
- Early referral to a specialized heart valve center is essential for the prevention of irreversible damage to the right heart and secondary end-organ damage 6