Advances of Echocardiography in Equines Practice - A Review

Gazi Ma Makhdoomi Dm

doi:10.4172/2157-7579.1000228

Abstract

Echocardiography has become routinely procedure used in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with any suspected or known heart diseases. It is one of the most widely used diagnostic modality in cardiology. It can provide a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart, pumping capacity, and the location and extent of any tissue damage of heart. An Echocardiogram on other hand gives physician’s estimates of heart function such as a calculation of the cardiac output, ejection fraction, and diastolic function. It also helps to evaluate cardiac defects such as, atrial septal defects, AV valve stenoses, coronary artery defects, occult DCM, coronary artery disease, feline heartworm disease, persistent left cranial vena cava, canine hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and feline diastolic dysfunction may be identified. This Review details principle, uses, technique, types and limitations of Echocardiography in equines.

Highlights

Development of Doppler echocardiography leads to the ability to assess blood flow characteristics in the equine heart
Echocardiography is essential for diagnosing cardiac diseases in horses as well as in other species [1]
The aim of this presentation is to give an overview on the general principles of equine echocardiography, indications for an echocardiographic examination, its clinical relevance, and current limitations of equine echocardiography [2]

Summary

Introduction

Pulsed wave (PW) Doppler uses short bursts of ultrasound transmitted to a point (designated the “sample volume”) distant from the transducer [8] The advantage of this type of Doppler is that blood flow velocity, direction and spectral characteristics from a specified point in the heart or blood vessel can be calculated. The M-mode Echocardiographic examination may reveal a clue to the presence of co-existent aortic valve insufficiency (diastolic fluttering of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve) premature closure of one cusp of the aortic valve As well this modality should indicate evidence of left ventricular concentric hypertrophy [12]. A stress echocardiogram, known as a stress echo or SE, utilizes ultrasound imaging of the heart to assess the wall motion in response to physical stress. A stress echo is a non-invasive test and is performed in the presence of a licensed medical professional, such as a cardiologist, and a cardiac sonographer

Limitations and Potential

Boon JA