Tricuspid regurgitation is a type of heart valve disease. The valve between the two right heart chambers doesn’t close as it should. Blood flows backward through the valve into the upper right chamber. If you have tricuspid regurgitation, less blood flows to the lungs, making the heart work harder to pump blood. The condition also may be called tricuspid valve regurgitation or tricuspid insufficiency.

Signs & Symptoms

Tricuspid valve regurgitation often doesn’t cause symptoms until the condition is severe. It may be found when medical tests are done for another reason. Symptoms of tricuspid valve regurgitation may include:

• Extreme tiredness
• Shortness of breath with activity
• Feelings of a rapid or pounding heartbeat
• Pounding or pulsing feeling in the neck
• Swelling in the belly, legs or neck veins

Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider will perform a comprehensive physical and heart history. They may ask whether you have used any of these medications that have been linked to heart valve disease.

After discussing your medical history, providers typically use echocardiography to diagnose tricuspid regurgitation. This test can also identify any valve abnormalities that would indicate the primary form of the condition. Rarely, if an echocardiogram doesn’t provide enough information, providers order a cardiac catheterization.