Multimodality cardiac imaging and new display options to broaden our understanding of the tricuspid valve

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The prognostic impact of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and the subsequent development of percutaneous procedures targeting the tricuspid valve (TV), has brought to the forefront the role of imaging for the assessment of the forgotten valve. As illustrated in several studies and summarized in this review, currently a multimodality imaging approach is required to understand the pathophysiology of TR, due to the complex TV anatomy and the close relationship between the severity of TR and the extent of the remodeling of the right heart chambers. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently, the advance in the tranhscatheter treatment of the TV has led to a growing interest in the development of dedicated software packages and new display modalities to increase our understanding of the TV. As a consequence, a transversal knowledge of the different imaging modalities is required for contemporary cardiac-imaging physicians. SUMMARY: This review highlights the main features, and the pros and cons of echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance and emerging technologies, as 3D printing and virtual reality, in the assessment of patients with TR.