Association of spectral Doppler cardiac activity in the lower limb veins and echocardiographic findings in patients with tricuspid regurgitation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between spectral Doppler cardiac activity in the lower limb veins and echocardiographic findings in patients with tricuspid regurgitation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in the Gilani Ultrasound Center over a period of 13 months. The total study sample comprised 400 subjects. All individuals referred for abdominal ultrasound having cardiac activities in external iliac vein, popliteal and posterior tibial vein, individuals having normal venous Doppler ultrasound, both genders and all ages, were included, and unwilling and non-cooperative patients were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Out of 400 individuals, 200 showed cardiac activity in the lower limb veins on Doppler vascular ultrasound, while 200 did not show cardiac activity. On echocardiography, 204 individuals were diagnosed with tricuspid regurgitation, and 196 individuals had a competent tricuspid valve. According to the independent sample t-test the mean difference in the posterior tibial vein was 25.54 (95% CI: 24.09; 26.98), while the mean difference in the iliac vein was 2.34 (95% CI: 0.64; 4.03) among normal and tricuspid regurgitation. CONCLUSION: A correlation was found between the cardiac activities in the lower limb veins and tricuspid regurgitation.