TRICUSPID-VALVE PROLAPSE ASSOCIATED WITH MYXOMATOUS DEGENERATION

Two surgical patients are presented with tricuspid valve prolapse. One had severe isolated prolapse of the posterior leaflet at its junction with the anterior leaflet accompanied by chordal elongation that was successfully repaired; the other had mild prolapse of all three leafle ts with chordal elongation. Myxomatous degeneration of the tricuspid v alve was the suspected underlying pathologic disorder in both patients and was histologically proven in the resected leaflet tissue of patie nt 1.