Abstract

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common heart disease in dogs and has many similarities to human mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Transthoracic echocardiography is a non-invasive method for making a diagnosis and predicting the progression of heart failure (HF) in dogs and humans with mitral regurgitation (MR). It enables clinicians to detect the mitral valve (MV) lesions, to evaluate MR severity, and to assess its impact on cardiac remodeling, myocardial function, left ventricular (LV) filling pressures, as well as pulmonary arterial pressure. Furthermore, advanced ultrasound technologies such as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), strain and strain rate imaging, and two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) provide a better assessment of global and regional myocardial function. Although the severity of MR and HF in dogs with MMVD is being evaluated as similar to human cardiology, the veterinary cardiologists are more focused on the severity of cardiac remodeling and cardiac dysfunction caused by MR, because surgical restoration of defected mitral apparatus is rarely done in dogs. The chapter will review conventional echocardiographic features of MMVD in dogs to provide a better understanding of the similarities and discrepancies between canine MMVD and human MVP to veterinary and human cardiologists and researchers.

Highlights

  • Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) accounts for 75–80% of heart diseases in dogs and is more prevalent in small and elderly dogs [1, 2]

  • The severity mitral regurgitation (MR) and congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs with MMVD are being evaluated as similar to human cardiology, the veterinary cardiologists are more focused on the severity of cardiac remodeling (e.g. left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) dilation) and cardiac dysfunction caused by MR, because surgical restoration of defected mitral apparatus is rarely done in dogs

  • The LA function consists of three components: it acts as a reservoir for pulmonary venous (PV) return during ventricular systole, as a conduit for the passage of stored blood from LA to LV during early ventricular diastole and diastasis, and as an active pump delivering 15–30% of LV filling during late ventricular diastole [51]

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) accounts for 75–80% of heart diseases in dogs and is more prevalent in small and elderly dogs [1, 2]. MMVD and MVP are characterized by progressive myxomatous degeneration of atrioventricular valves and subsequent mitral regurgitation (MR) [3], causing left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) volume overload and left-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) [4]. Conventional ultrasound imaging modalities such as two-dimensional (2D), M-mode, color Doppler, pulse-wave (PW), and continuouswave (CW) Doppler echocardiography may not be enough to precisely evaluate the severity of mitral valve diseases and to monitor disease progression Advanced ultrasound technologies such as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), strain and strain rate imaging, and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) gain popularity in veterinary and human cardiologists because these technologies can assess and monitor global and regional myocardial function more precisely [12], those require more expensive ultrasound machine and training. The chapter reviews conventional echocardiographic indices being used for diagnosis and prognosis of canine MMVD to provide a better understanding of the similarities and discrepancies between canine MMVD and human MVP to veterinary and human cardiologists and researchers

Assessment of MR severity
Semi-quantification of MR
Quantification of MR
Assessment of left heart remodeling
LA assessment
Assessment of myocardial dysfunction
Spectral Doppler studies
Assessment of pulmonary hypertension
Doppler interrogation of TR and PR jets
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call