Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How X-rays predict left heart enlargement in dogs with heart disease
By Duler, Laetitia et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2021·William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of radiographic predictors of left heart enlargement in dogs with known or suspected cardiovascular disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with heart problems underwent X-rays to measure their heart size and assess the severity of their condition. Researchers found that a specific measurement called vertebral left atrial size (VLAS) was a better predictor of heart enlargement compared to another measurement called vertebral heart size (VHS). For dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (a common heart issue), both VLAS and VHS were helpful in predicting the stage of heart disease. This means that when echocardiograms aren't available, VLAS can be a useful tool for veterinarians to manage dogs with heart issues effectively.
People also search for: dog heart enlargement symptoms · myxomatous mitral valve disease treatment · dog heart disease X-ray results
Abstract
Radiographic assessment of heart size is important for clinical management of dogs with cardiovascular disease (CVDz). We sought to compare the ability of vertebral heart size (VHS), vertebral left atrial size (VLAS), and radiologists' assessment of left atrial size (RadLAE) to predict echocardiographic left atrial size (EchoLAE), an important marker of left heart disease severity. We also compared the ability of VHS and VLAS to predict echocardiographic criteria for ACVIM stage B2 (EchoB2) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). This prospective observational study enrolled 183 dogs with known or suspected CVDz that had an echocardiographic examination and thoracic radiographs obtained within 24 h. Compared to increased VHS, VLAS >2.3 was a more accurate predictor of EchoLAE (P = .002). VLAS >2.3 and RadLAE (both P <.0001) were independently associated with EchoLAE but VHS was not (P = .45). Optimal cutoffs for VLAS and VHS to predict EchoLAE were >2.3 vertebrae (sensitivity [Sn] = 90.3%, specificity [Sp] = 73.6%) and >11.1 vertebrae (Sn = 75.8%, Sp = 76.0%), respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of VLAS (AUC 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.92) and VHS (AUC 0.78, 95% CI 0.66-0.88) to predict EchoB2 in dogs with subclinical MMVD (n = 64) were not significantly different (P = .17). Results demonstrate that VLAS and RadLAE were superior indicators of EchoLAE compared to VHS in dogs with known or suspected CVDz. Both VLAS and VHS are useful predictors of EchoB2 in dogs with subclinical MMVD. When echocardiography is unavailable, VLAS represents a useful radiographic measurement to aid clinical management of dogs with known or suspected CVDz.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33439529/