Anatomic study of the tricuspid valve in children.

ABSTRACT

We performed an anatomic study of the right atrioventricular valve in children under one year of age using a conservative method of dissection of the heart valve. The main aspects studied were the number of cusps and their morphometric characteristics, such as the width of the base and the depth of the cusps. Other parameters studied were the number of papillary muscles, number of tendinous cords, and diameter of the fibrous ring and the last one were divided in three regions, anterior, posterior and septal for localization of cusps. Our results showed that the number of cusps varied from two to four. Three cusps was the commonest finding and the fourth cusp, if present, was classified as anterolateral in location. The anterior and septal cusps had bases bigger than those of the posterior and anterolateral cusps; the septal cusp was deeper than the others; and the number of tendinous cords was greater for the anterior and septal cusps than for the posterior and anterolateral cusps. In addition, the posterior region showed great variability in 35.7% it was occupied by undeveloped valve tissue and the posterior valve in these cases was located anteriorly.