MORPHOMETRY OF TRICUSPID VALVE IN HUMAN FOETAL CADAVERS

Introduction: Anatomy of tricuspid valve complex is highly sophisticated and is altered by various disease states. Anatomic and morphological studies on the tricuspid valve are comparatively less in adults and there were no studies on foetal tricuspid valve. Hence the present study was under taken. Materials and methods: Parameters of the tricuspid valve of heart were defined and measured individually by using paquimeter. The morphometric parameters of basal width and depth of three cusps, attachment lengths of leaflets, frontal and sagittal dimensions of atrioventricular orifice and atrial circumference of valve attachment were recorded. Results: All the parameters of tricuspid valve increased with gestational age and were statistically significant in males. The widths of all the three cusps were greater in male. The frontal and sagittal dimensions and tricuspid valve circumference were higher in female foetuses when compared to male foetuses. Tricuspid valve area is expressed as triangle only. Gestational age is negatively correlating with depth of posterior cusp while other parameters correlated positively as a whole as and in less than 30 weeks age group. In more than 30 weeks age group age has negative correlation with depth of anterior and posterior cusps; tricuspid valve circumference is negatively correlating with frontal and sagittal dimensions; frontal and sagittal dimensions positively correlated with age and tricuspid circumference. Conclusion:Understanding tricuspid valve morphology and morphometry has great clinical importance in the practice of cardiac surgery, especially in partial transfer of leaflets of tricuspid valve for mitral valve repairs and in severe cardiac malformations. The present study forms a database for right atrioventricular orifice dimensions in human fetuses of different gestational ages.