Ebstein Anomaly
“The tricuspid valve separates the right upper chamber (the right atrium) and the right lower chamber (the right ventricle) of the heart. In a normal heart, the tricuspid valve closes completely when the right ventricle squeezes to push blood to the lungs, to prevent blood from going backward.
In Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve, some blood being pushed into the right ventricle “leaks” back into the right atrium because the valve does not close completely. The atrium may become enlarged because of the extra volume of blood; and, in severe cases, heart failure can result.
Some children with Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve also have an atrial septal defect (ASD), a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart, or other heart defects.
Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve can also be associated with problems in the electrical system that controls the heart’s pumping. Some children with Ebstein’s anomaly have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which means there is an extra electrical connection between the upper and the lower chambers of the heart. This can lead to an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia).” Read More