Longitudinal assessment of systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: The proportion of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) that lose systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) in the long term is unknown.

Hypothesis/objectives: Cats with HCM will lose SAM in the long term. Loss of SAM will be associated with greater age, longer scan-interval, and altered left ventricular (LV) dimensions.

Automated echocardiographic left ventricular dimension assessment in dogs using artificial intelligence: Development and validation.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) could improve accuracy and reproducibility of echocardiographic measurements in dogs.

Hypothesis: A neural network can be trained to measure echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) linear dimensions in dogs.

Animals: Training dataset: 1398 frames from 461 canine echocardiograms from a single specialist center.

Aortic annular plane systolic excursion in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Impairment of left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function is an early marker of systolic dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Aortic annular plane systolic excursion (AAPSE) is a measure of LV longitudinal function in people that has not been evaluated in cats.

Hypothesis: Aortic annular plane systolic excursion is lower in cats with HCM compared to control cats, and cats in stage C have the lowest AAPSE.

Predicting Development of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Disease Outcomes in Cats.

Echocardiography is the gold standard imaging modality to diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats. Echocardiographic features can predict both cats at an increased risk of developing HCM and cats with HCM at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular events or experiencing cardiac death. Left atrial dysfunction seems to be an important feature of HCM, as it is an early phenotypic abnormality and is also associated with worse outcome.

Natural history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats from rehoming centers: The CatScan II study.

Background: The natural history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats has been mainly studied in cats referred for suspected heart disease, which can skew the results towards cats with clinical signs. Few data are available on factors associated with development of HCM in cats.

Hypotheses: (1) Clinical variables can predict which cats will develop HCM; (2) HCM in cats not referred for suspected heart disease is associated with a low rate of cardiovascular events.

Retrospective evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 68 dogs.

Background: There is a lack of clinical data on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in dogs.

Hypothesis/objectives: To investigate signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic findings, and survival in dogs with HCM.

Animals: Sixty-eight client-owned dogs.

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) for the assessment of myocardial disarray, fibrosis and ventricular mass in a feline model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a high-resolution imaging modality that provides accurate tissue characterization. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) occurs as a spontaneous disease in cats, and is characterized by myocardial hypertrophy, disarray and fibrosis, as in humans. While hypertrophy/mass (LVM) can be objectively measured, fibrosis and myocyte disarray are difficult to assess.

Biomarker changes with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) are biomarkers commonly evaluated in cats with suspected heart disease. Many cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM), but its influence on circulating NT-proBNP or cTnI concentrations is currently unknown.

Hypothesis/objectives: Cats with HCM and SAM (HCM ) have higher NT-proBNP and cTnI concentrations than do cats with HCM but without SAM (HCM ).

Case report - azygos vein drainage into the left atrium in a dog with cor triatriatum dexter and a patent foramen ovale.

A 2-year-old Airedale terrier was presented with exercise intolerance since birth and newly developed chylous pleural effusion. Imaging procedures including echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and selective angiography revealed an aberrant connection of the azygos vein and the left atrium, a membrane in the right atrium consistent with cor triatriatum dexter, and a patent foramen ovale with right-to-left shunt. Balloon dilation of the membrane in the right atrium seemed to result in transient improvement of exercise tolerance compared with the previous 2 years.

Two-dimensional echocardiographic estimates of left atrial function in healthy dogs and dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Objectives: To provide reference intervals for 2-dimensional linear and area-based estimates of left atrial (LA) function in healthy dogs and to evaluate the ability of estimates of LA function to differentiate dogs with subclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and similarly affected dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Animals: Fifty-two healthy adult dogs, 88 dogs with MMVD of varying severity.

Methods: Linear and area measurements from 2-dimensional echocardiographs in both right parasternal long and short axis views optimized for the left atrium were used to derive estimates of LA active emptying fraction, passive emptying fraction, expansion index, and total fractional emptying.

Comparison of left and right ventricular stroke volume of dogs calculated on the basis of morphology and blood flow determined by use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE To compare stroke volume (SV) calculated on the basis of cardiac morphology determined by MRI and results of phase-contrast angiography (PCA) of ventricular inflow and outflow in dogs. ANIMALS 10 healthy Beagles. PROCEDURES Cardiac MRI was performed twice on each Beagle.

Valvulopathy consistent with endocarditis in an Argentine boa (Boa constrictor occidentalis).

An Argentine boa (Boa constrictor occidentalis) of 5 yr 7 mo of age was presented for respiratory problems and regurgitation. Radiographs revealed evidence of cardiomegaly and pneumonia. Blood smear examination revealed the presence of intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in peripheral lymphocytes, consistent with inclusion body disease.

Patent ductus arteriosus in an adult cat with pulmonary hypertension and right-sided congestive heart failure: hemodynamic evaluation and clinical outcome following ductal closure.

Right-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) developed secondary to severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) in an 8-year-old cat with a left-to-right shunting patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Vascular reactivity was tested prior to shunt ligation by treatment with oxygen and sildenafil. This treatment was associated with a significant decrease in pulmonary artery pressure as assessed by echocardiography.