Project description:BackgroundAccurate identification of tricuspid valve (TV) leaflets by two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography is difficult because of variability in the intersection between the imaging plane and leaflets. Using information obtained from multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) of three-dimensional (3D) data sets, the investigators sought to define "novel" 2D views that would allow targeted interrogation of TV leaflets using 2D transthoracic echocardiography.MethodsImages of the TV in the standard 2D views (apical four chamber, right ventricular focused, right ventricular inflow, and parasternal short axis) and 3D data sets were acquired from the same probe position in 106 adults. Three-dimensional MPR was used to determine which leaflet combination was seen in the 2D image: anterior and septal, anterior and posterior, anterior alone, or posterior and septal. Using this analysis, 2D landmarks were identified to define nonstandard TV views tailored to depict specific leaflets. Two-dimensional images in these views and 3D data sets were then prospectively collected in 54 additional patients. Three independent readers analyzed these 2D views to determine TV leaflet combinations, and their interpretation was compared with 3D MPR-derived reference.ResultsThree-dimensional MPR views made it possible to define six nonstandard 2D views on the basis of anatomic clues and landmarks, which consistently depicted all the aforementioned leaflet combinations. When these six views were prospectively tested, the agreement of TV leaflet identification against 3D MPR was excellent (κ = 0.88, κ = 0.93, and κ = 0.98).ConclusionThe nonstandard 2D views defined in this study allow accurate TV leaflet identification and may thus be useful when localization of TV leaflet pathology is clinically important.
Project description:Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a severe congenital heart defect in which the right ventricle and associated tricuspid valve (TV) alone support the circulation. TV failure is thus associated with heart failure, and the outcome of TV valve repair are currently poor. 3D echocardiography (3DE) can generate high-quality images of the valve, but segmentation is necessary for precise modeling and quantification. There is currently no robust methodology for rapid TV segmentation, limiting the clinical application of these technologies to this challenging population. We utilized a Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) to segment tricuspid valves from transthoracic 3DE. We trained on 133 3DE image-segmentation pairs and validated on 28 images. We then assessed the effect of varying inputs to the FCN using Mean Boundary Distance (MBD) and Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC). The FCN with the input of an annular curve achieved a median DSC of 0.86 [IQR: 0.81-0.88] and MBD of 0.35 [0.23-0.4] mm for the merged segmentation and an average DSC of 0.77 [0.73-0.81] and MBD of 0.6 [0.44-0.74] mm for individual TV leaflet segmentation. The addition of commissural landmarks improved individual leaflet segmentation accuracy to an MBD of 0.38 [0.3-0.46] mm. FCN-based segmentation of the tricuspid valve from transthoracic 3DE is feasible and accurate. The addition of an annular curve and commissural landmarks improved the quality of the segmentations with MBD and DSC within the range of human inter-user variability. Fast and accurate FCN-based segmentation of the tricuspid valve in HLHS may enable rapid modeling and quantification, which in the future may inform surgical planning. We are now working to deploy this network for public use.
Project description:BACKGROUND: The tricuspid valve (TV) is a complex structure. Unlike the aortic and mitral valve it is not possible to visualize all TV leaflets simultaneously in one cross-sectional view by standard two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) either transthoracic or transesophageal due to the position of TV in the far field. AIM: Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the normal TV using real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE). METHODS: RT3DE was performed for 100 normal adults (mean age 30 +/- 9 years, 65% males). RT3DE visualization was evaluated by 4-point score (1: not visualized, 2: inadequate, 3: sufficient, and 4: excellent). Measurements included TV annulus diameters (TAD), TV area (TVA), and commissural width. RESULTS: In 90% of patients with good 2DE image quality, it was possible to analyse TV anatomy by RT3DE. A detailed anatomical structure including unique description and measurement of tricuspid annulus shape and size, TV leaflets shape, and mobility, and TV commissural width were obtained in majority of patients. Identification of each TV leaflet as seen in the routine 2DE views was obtained. CONCLUSION: RT3DE of the TV is feasible in a large number of patients. RT3DE may add to functional 2DE data in description of TV anatomy and providing highly reproducible and actual reality (anatomical and functional) measurements.
Project description:Duplication of atrioventricular valves involves the mitral valve more often than the tricuspid valve and is often associated with other cardiac defects. Double-orifice tricuspid valve (DOTV) is often identified in surgery or autopsy and missed on echocardiography, as the two orifices are orthogonal to the imaging plane. If suspected on echocardiography, it masquerades as mild tricuspid hypoplasia. Three-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging of a DOTV are presented.