Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How tissue Doppler imaging helps detect lung hypertension in dogs
By Jorge Isidoro Matos et al.·Published in Animals·2023·Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Usefulness of Tissue Doppler Imaging for the Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension in Canine Heartworm Disease
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with heartworms was evaluated for breathing problems caused by pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). Researchers found that tissue Doppler imaging (a special ultrasound technique) could help identify this condition in dogs. Out of 116 heartworm-infected dogs, nearly half showed signs of pulmonary hypertension. The study showed that specific measurements from the tissue Doppler imaging were effective in diagnosing this serious issue. Using this method could help veterinarians better assess and manage heartworm disease in dogs.
People also search for: dog heartworm disease symptoms · pulmonary hypertension in dogs · tissue Doppler imaging for dogs
Abstract
Background: <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i> is a nematode that produces proliferative pulmonary endarteritis in dogs due to direct contact of the adult parasites with the intima layer of the pulmonary arteries, leading to irreversible severe structural damage and sustained pulmonary hypertension (PH), which can produce severe cardiorespiratory disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of the echocardiography tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in determining the presence of PH in dogs with heartworm disease. Methods: There were 116 heartworm-infected dogs with PH and 33 healthy dogs included in the study. Based on the right pulmonary artery distensibility index (RPADi) < 29.5%, PH was present in 47.4% of infected dogs. Additionally, the animals were evaluated using other standard alternative echocardiographic measures to estimate PH. Moreover, a total of eight echocardiographic measurements were analysed using the TDI to determine its usefulness in diagnosing PH (E′, A′, S, E′:A′, global TDI, HRI-IVCT, HRI-IVRT, R-TEI). Results: The TDI measurements showed significant differences between dogs with and without PH, demonstrating a positive correlation with respect to the RPADi. In addition, cut-off values for the detection of PH with excellent sensitivity and specificity were found for E′:A′, global TDI, HRI-IVCT, HRI-IVRT and R-TEI. Conclusions: The TDI mode may be useful as an adjunct diagnostic method for the determination of PH in dogs with <i>Dirofilaria immitis.</i>
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233647