Advances in atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation

The tricuspid valve was once called as the "forgotten" valve and several studies have demonstrated that mortality due to tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is independently associated with the severity of regurgitation. TR has become a focus of research in recent years because of the delayed diagnosis of the condition, the scarcity of surgical intervention only suitable for TR and its high in-hospital mortality. Atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation (AFTR) is a new subset with distinctive anatomical and functional features and accurate assessment of the morphology and severity of TR by different imaging modalities is essential for the diagnosis and management of AFTR. In this article, we briefly review the definition, anatomical features, pathogenesis, evaluation and management of AFTR.