Relationship Between Pulmonary Venous and Transtricuspid Flows in Patients with Chronic Rheumatic Heart Disease

Pulmonary venous velocity has been related to the left atrial function and mitral valve velocity. The assessment of pulmonary venous flow has helped to characterize left ventricular function in various heart diseases. To determine the relative importance of several proposed factors that could influence pulmonary venous flow velocity, anatomic and Doppler tricuspid and pulmonary venous velocity were compared in 21 patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease. There were correlations with pulmonary venous diastolic flow velocity and velocity time integral with mean tricuspid pressure. Pulmonary venous systolic flow velocity showed correlation with mean tricuspid pressure, and velocity time integral showed correlation with mean tricuspid pressure and peak tricuspid flow velocity in early diastole. There was correlation with pulmonary venous flow reversal atrial contraction velocity time integral with peak tricuspid flow velocity at atrial contraction, right atrium dimension (maximum), right atrium area (maximum), right atrium ejection fraction, right atrium fractional shortening. Pulmonary venous flow velocity reversal atrial contraction showed correlation with right ventricular isovolumetric relaxation time, peak tricuspid flow velocity at atrial contraction and mean tricuspid pressure. These results suggest that pulmonary venous velocities relate with right ventricular diastolic filling and right atrial area and function.