Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation Caused by Chronic Atrial Fibrillation

Increased mortality among patients with moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), regardless of pulmonary hypertension and left ventricular systolic function, has raised interest in the various underlying causes of TR. Causes of TR may be classified into 2 major categories: primary and secondary. Primary TR is caused by an anatomic abnormality of the tricuspid valve (TV) itself, whereas secondary or functional TR (FTR) involves structurally normal TV leaflets and is caused by abnormalities of the surrounding or supporting structures, such as annular dilatation and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction.